THE RIGHT HORSE SADDLED.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 186, 31 July 1869, Page 4

THE RIGHT HORSE SADDLED.

To the Editor of the Marlborough Express. Sir, —I wish to make a remark on the leader in the News of last Saturday, if you will allow me a little space, in order to remove a wrong impression—if such there may be—from the public mind as regards Wharfs, Publican’s Licenses, and the Dog Tax. The writer first gives the Council credit for the activity they have displayed in getting some portion of the streets of the town into something like order, and then goes on to state- “ It is not for him even to allude to what might be the motives of one or more who may expectantly await the turning up of another king.” I would ask ivhat motives does he “ allude ”to ? In the first place, he says it is not to be alluded to ; and then immediately he does allude to a something it is hard to understand. With respect to the last part of the paragraph, the writer wants to give credit to one person for bringing the claims of the Borough to the Publican’s Licenses, Wharfs, and the Dog Tax, so as to reduce the rate to be levied to less than the maximum of one shilling. Now, as the writer does not boldly name the person who did this, I will—the person who first brought the matter before the Council was Councillor Robinson, who wanted to embody the Publican’s Licenses and the Wharfs in the petition that was sent up about the bridges, but was advised to wait until we saw whether Marlborough was to exist as a Province or not. That was the reason why the Publican’s Licenses, &c, were not embodied in the petition alluded to.

It may not be known by the majority of the Burgesses that we must petition to have the Publican’s Licenses and Wharfs before we can have the benefit, and it is quite a matter of doubt whether the Provincial and General Governments would give them up to the Town ; and if they did, it would be twelve months before we could receive any benefit therefrom, and I would ask, under such circumstances, what is to become of our streets in the meantime ? and how could we repair them with less than a shilling rate ? If we could obtain the Wharfs, &c., I for one should be very glad, as I should have considerably less to pay. No persons will be more pleased to do with a small rate than myself, or any other holder of property, but 1 as a property holder and a Councillor will not shirk the duty of levying a high rate, when I feel convinced it is quite impossible to do any good with a low one—no one will be more pleased than myself to see our roads in such a state as to enable us to do with a 3d. rate, but that cannot be at present. We have a good deal of back time to make up time which has been wasted in disputes, caused by one who, like the soldier being flogged, did not like the infliction of paying in any shape—the person who has been opposed to any Town Board or any improvement whatever, and but for whom the old Town Board would have been working now, and not have allowed our streets and ways to relapse into worse than their native state. Through the disputes arising from the determination of that one person, we are saddled with a debt which would have placed half the Town in good order ; and now, forsooth, we are to wait another year to try and get the Wharfs, &c. I say let us get the Wharfs and Licenses, if possible, as they belong to us, but we cannot wait until we do get them; when we get them we shall be able to do with a very low rate.

With regard to the Dog Tax, it is in the power of the Town to bring that into force as soon as they like to move in the matter, and I must say that l am surprised that some “person,” instead of talking so much about we might get, does not at once take active steps to bring the Dog Tax into force. If he gets up a petition, I for one will sign it, but, as the forty dogs alluded to by one of our Councillors might be taxed, I fear his next cry would be that by taxing the poor man’s dogs we should be taking “another shingle” off his roof, and so would decline to do anything but what seems to be his nature —namely, to find fault with others, without providing a practical remedy.—l am, &c., L.

To the Editor of the Marlborough Express. Sir, —I am one of those poor men alluded to by Mr. Sinclair in the Borough Council—one of those of whom he said it would be a shame to take the shingles off their roofs to fill holes in

the roads; no doubt it is a very great shame for the Council to tax us poor fellows to the enormous extent of one shilling in the pound on the annual value. Why, Sir, I have a quarter acre of land and a cottage that will have to pay one pound this very year ; while Mr- Sinclair has about 300 sections, and will have to pay about £l4 ! I rather think he thought of this when he wanted a sixpenny rate, and pretended to advocate our interest. This sort of bunkum—for it is nothing else—won’t wash now ; it used to be swallowed once, but die must try another tack It costs more for children’s boots, through the roads being in such a bad state, than the difference between a shilling and sixpenny rate ; but if Mr. Sinclair is so anxious to let us poor men off with a sixpenny rate, I can tell him the way—that is by paying his rates owing for the years 1866 and 1867. We poor men had to pay when he did not. The rates he was morally liable for (if not legally) would amount to nearly £2OO, so if he pays that we poor meh will get off with a sixpenny rate. He should at least give up his share of the liabilities of the late Board, viz. £45 j that would be some assistance to us, as all these liabilities were caused through his not paying his rates,—l am, &c,, Justice.