MR DALRYMPLE AND THE MANAWATU HERALD.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 58, 16 March 1880, Page 2

MR DALRYMPLE AND THE MANAWATU HERALD.

At the last sitting of tho Manawatu Highways Board, tho Manawatu Herald appears to havo fallen under the dire wrath and indignation of Mr John Taylor Dalrymple, tho Chairman of that illustrious body. We exceedingly regret that mattersconnected with the internal management of the office prevented our having a reporter present on tho occasion. But certainly had we known that august individual intended to honor

m wifch a speech, wo shouli hay;; * •triade a special effort to report his e'ldriuence, wrath,- ft't), and indigna- : lion tierfdtlM 4 Uterdtim. As, however, we ai'e ddWie'd by cruel Fate that plea»ure— and oui' i'ddfUr'ff ttxe' denied the amusement an exact report of one of Mr Dalryrnple's speeches would give them— we will reprint from onr two contemporaries (the Manawatu Times atid Marton Advocate") the report of this tei'i'ible miljjHiir anct brimstone speech, ThiH is what the Times' firficl j— - The Chairman said that before CfJttiiiieilc*ing the business of the Board he would wish to say a few words about a personal matter. A paragraph had appeared iv the FoSton paper whioh reflected upon him in such a raatiaef, that if it were true ho would be unworthy to preside at that Board, It had been asserted that- Mf Linton, the valuer, had ststed that the reason, the fates in No 6 Ward would be much heavier this year than last, was because many of his (tho Chairman's) sections had beon allowed to pass without being rated. This was grossly untrue. .What the valuator did say was that " some sections in his Ward had escaped rating." On the occasion referred to, tho Foxton paper had no reporter present, and the inference •tf'as that the false information had been supplied by one of the members of the Board. If such really wero the case, it was to be regretted that gentlemen would descend to such conduct and circulate false statements about body of whose credit it Would bo supposed they wo*ild jealously guard. The folloAving is the Advocate's report : — Befoie proceeding with the ordinary business of tho meeting at the Manawatu Highway Board on Thursday hst, Mr Dalrymple read a paragraph from the Foxton Herald, which, he said, must have been supplied by one of the members of the Board as tho Herald's reporter had not been present at the meeting. The paragraph was in reference to some remark which passed between him and the vainer (Mr Linton), respecting an increase in tho valuation of his land. The Herald's remnrks wero not of a very complimentary character, but Mr Dalrymple said that as the paper could not properly be entitled a respectable journal, he should nofc trouble himself to contradict its statement. So that our readers may know the gravamen of our offence, we also reprint the paragraph which roused Mr Dalryrnple's ire. This is it: — Keep Youn Rates Down Boys. — At the last v eeting of the Manawatu Highways B;jard, an event occurred which provoked c insi 'erable laughter. The Valuator, Mr J is. Linton, attended in his official capacity, and oxplained tho value of rateable property in the varions Wards. Upon sta* ing the amount of Ward No. 6, which is represented by Mr Dalrymple, a voice was heard from the Chairman, " Tha* is a capital increase in my Ward," upon which Mr Linton drily r remarked, " Oh, that's because a lot of sections belonging to you were left oufc of the valuation last year," whilst amidst the lausrhter this evoked a surly member whispered to hi-* neighbour, " Well, what a nerve he had to objeot to his ra es last year, when a number of his sections were not included at all! " Now, a careful perusal of Mr Dalryrnple's speech, as reported by our contemporaries, shows that he only denies that Mr Linton said a certain thing. He does not deny the truth of the statement made that a number of liis sections were omitted the year before when he appealed against his rates. It is certainly very much against our grain to be compelled to contradict so estimable a gentleman as Mr John Taylor Dalrymple, but our own honor compels us in this case to do so. On reading his speech, we at ouce saw Mr Macpherson, the Warden for No. 3 Ward, aud asked him for an exact account of what occurred. Mr Macpherson states that this took place. After looking over the Ward valuations, and speaking of them, Mr Dalrymple remarked to Mr Linton, " I see my rates tire higher this year !" npon which Mr Linton replied, •' It is hot that your rates are higher, but that some of your sections were left ont last year !" We have not been able to see any other members of the Board, and therefore must rest our case on the testimony of Mv Macpherson, in whose veracity we have every confidence. In looking over the valuation lists for the Stoney Creek Ward for the past two or three years, Aye notice a fact which appears to support the inference that Mr Dalrymple is not above escaping the ratecollector when it can be done conveniently. Iv th.c list for 1877-78 Aye notice fchat Mr Dalrymple's name appears opposite section 340, comprising (we judge by the map) 80 acres. The whole line is, however, erased, by whom or from Avhat cause we have no means of knowing. Certainly neither Mr Dalrymple nor any one else Avas rated for it in 1878-79, but in 1879-80, it appears on the book, and this time is again down to Mr Dalrymple, who, we presume, on this occasion admitted ownership ! Who Avas in possession of this section all this time ? why was Mr Dalryrnple's name erased in 1877, and inserted in 1879 ? In his next " personal explanation," perhaps he will answer the question. Then again section 345 Avas in 1877-78 down on the roll to Mr Dalrymple, but in the Havo following rolls is not mentioned. Yet Mr Dalrymple did not protest ! This year it appears on the neAV roll after a t\vo years' holiday. Now Aye come to Mr Dalrymple's appeal. The following is the repoit of the Assessment Court, Palmerston, copied from the ManaAvatu Times, April 19, 1879 :— J. T. Dalrymple objected to the valuation oc his land as excessive. Some of 'he laud was uot worth more than £8 an acre, anl it had been rated at £12 ; but the Court, after some careful calculations, held tnat the valuation must stand good, as even ou Mr Dalrymple* s ohj» showing he whb not rated at more than £5 above the miuimnm of 6 per cent laid down by the Aot. The above shows that although Mr Dalrymple was at the time Chair*

nan 0 ? the Highways' Board, imd va-j i.x tnat capac.ty secariog the ex- , jenditure of a large sum of pul^k- , noney upon a road Avhich Avould b<V -**•*, lefit chiefly his oavii district hedidnot scruple to appeal against the very Irfwest assessment a valuator could fairly ftfotkev Midi ask that it might bo reduced by abcnti 26 per cent. Further comment is needless I Speaking of Mr Dalrymple as Chairman of the Highways Board. we can only consider him a success 1 in so far an success in politics implies what a man gets for well, we w-ifl sasaiy hv his district. Under his presidency^ the valuation list of 1879 Avas almost tixttnm out through a bungle ; the list of iB6O ha* actually v been thrown out by the Court ** Sandon has determined to separ»te r in ordei- to get a fair use of its rates ; atid Boston has done the same. Surely those facts prove mismanagement to such a degree as to show Mr Dalrymple, " unworthy to preside at the Board !" A single glance at the Board's balance sheet shows uumistakeably how avaricious (speaking publicly, of course) Mr Dalrymple is. Ward No. 6 — represented by him — W as on March 11, indebted to the enormous extent of £239 13s 9d. Where has all this money gone ? Mv Dalrymple knoAvs. Foxton Ward r oil the other hand, has a balaneey of £262 5s 9d, and notwithstandnvK* this balance whicli has been to its credit for months past, not a single work has been done throughout the Avhole of the diy season, simply because Mr Dalrymple and other spendthiift Wardens have " feathered their nests" with moneys belonging to this part of the district. _ Hence the veiy high esteem in which we hold Mr Dalrymple as a public man. Mr Dalrymple Avas pleased to say the Herald " conld not properly be entitled a respectable journal." Because he said so, we do not sun-ender our claim to respectability. But we will tell him when we will surrender it : When avo employ our position to get roads made ibr our own particular advantage, to the detriment of struggling settlers ; Avhen Aye appeal against our rates, knoAving that we are asking them to be placed on aloAverbasis than our property is fairly worth ; and when in the face of a low valuation Aye endeavour to get the sum total reduced, weU knowing that some sections are omitted — we will at once and for ever surrender our claim to be classed amongst respectable joumals^^^^^^