ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1103, 31 October 1879, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOII OF THE OAMABU MAIL. Sib, —I perceive from your paper of last night that Mr. W. J. Steward is leaving this town and taking up a position in Waimate. I think the Qamaru public would gladly share in doing something that would tend to show the gratitude of the people of this district for the many works promoted bj' Mr. Steward during the thirteen years he spent here, Ist. He was Mayor for three years, and filled the office with credit to himself and benefit to the town. 2nd. He was member of the Assembly for five years, and secured a large amount of public money and a lame extent of public lands for the different institutions of this town. 3rd. He labored earnestly for the promotion of the Oamaru-Naseby railway line. No doubt he failed for a portion of the line, but doubtless before long that line will be constructed, and a lasting benefit conferred on this town by the trafiic drawn into it from the western district of Otago. 4th. When our working men required assistance a few months since, Mr. Steward was tha person who succeeded iu getting the Livingstone line commenced, thus saving the men from abject poverty and causing a good share of the public money to circulate among the storekeepers, partly saving them from bankruptcy, andthepressure of the banks. These are only a few of the reasons why I think youandwethe people oughttocomeforward and show our sense of justice by doing honor to a public servant who faithfully discharged the duties he undertook for the welfare of tire community. Mr. Editor, if a move be made in this direction, I shall be glad to subscribe one guinea towards carrying out the project. Permit me to add that to your knowledge I know very little of Mr, Steward, and am not connected with him in any way —even by religion ; but I feel that a sense of humanity and justice demands that we should do something to save us from being charged with ingratitude.—l am., &c., Citizen.