SUCCESSFUL BLUFF.

NZ Truth, Issue 68, 6 October 1906, Page 8

SUCCESSFUL BLUFF.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— The Government have had a sham enquiry re the steam service on the Wanganui River, and the villain

of the piece has scored all round. Evidently the Meimbers of Parliament are easily hoodwinked. The impression here is that we are m a worse position than before. There is a small apparent concession above Pipiriki, but we wish to know by what authority do the mail carriers question the business and addresses of the passengers m order to get as much as possible out of them. It is I not clear who are tourists and who are settlers. It is evident that all I the contracts since 1892 have been intentionally made so as to allow the people to Be robbed with impunity. Why should the Government sanction a different fare for tourists on the I Wanganui River steamers ? They have | the same 'food as the other passengers, and there is only tlie deck/ to ga jto, which is common to all. . We | spend large sums of money with the object of bringing them here and Cook and -Sons, L. D. Nathan, Hatrick and Co., and others (who are few m number) have all the benefit of the public expenditure. There is no' justification for such action, and no just "Government would tolerate such abuse of public money. As there is not a ghost of a chance of improvement it is clearly the duty of the Government to put steamers on the river at once and do away with, the present cruel monopoly. Surely fifteen years is enough to recoup the Company. There should be no buying out; they are not entitled to any favor as they have continuously ignored all conditions, and have grabbed to the full extent. It is full time that the Government ceased to bade up injustice. To show that -there is no likelihood of fair play. Here is an instance. Two settlers took passages to Hiruharama last trip and paid 17s Gd each ; another held a ticket to Pipiriki, which is seven miles further, for which he paid 15s. The evidence is overwhelming that the same person has paid' five shillings more for a passage to Pipirikf than he did on another occasion, and what about the leakage m the river dues ; who has got the money ? Tlie River Trust is short by several hundreds, and where is it ■'? Your last issue contains a number of statements about the service which are correct", and demand immediate attention. The collection lof tolls is only . one. We have not ! seen the return of .Government goods j sent up river. When a true answer ,is given it will be an eye-opener ; but it jis doubtful if it will be correct. As favoritism has been m evidence all j these years, it is surely time that tbe Government ceased to -uphold m I justice by hacking up the mystery of ininuity that has been crushing this town and district for years, and gave relief by using the public funds for the benefit of the people.— l am, &c, settler! Sept. 27, 1906.