The Wizard of Finance. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2211, 16 July 1896, Page 13

The Wizard of Finance. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — Ifc is a pity Mr Ward cinnot refrain from the bitter attacks he persists in making on other people, they remind us so forcibly of the tactics of-Meagher, than whom no roan could have been more ind'gaanb even up to the last. Mr Ward either does not realise his true position or e'so he places a very low estimate on the intelligence of the New Zealand publio. He whines that his position is due to his political opponents ; but his position is this : When the banks amalgamated the J. G. Ward account was bo hopelessly rotten that the directors of the buying bank absolutely refused to take it over. This certainly was not due to political influence, as even Mr Ward himself has to admit himself and his company hopelessly insolvent. The second position is that Mr Ward's friends came forward to buy the concern. This matter was referred to a judge— one of Now Zealand's ableßt and mist upright. After due investigation, what does this judge nay ? He cannot grant thin, as in doing so he would praobioally be allowing to be hushei up matiera wpich required investigation, and he adds that it is not in the internets <ff morality that some of those connected with the Ward Association should roam at large in the commercial world, Now Mr Ward professes to have every regard for Judge Williams'* verdict, yet on Judge William»'» verdict has been ba^d all the criticism he condemns. Ho tslks wildly about the Tdrypress, but the Tory preas had nothing to do with the imaginary oats, or dishonour the bogus draft, or manipuhte the finances till the dividend ran down to 8d in the pound. S ! r, Mr Ward's assertions and harangies may mislead tho unthinking. They may make those to wliom the words " Tory press " act like a " red rag to a bull " forget that Mr Ward's own aotions have brought him where he it, but they will not deceive any thinking man. If Mr Ward wants a "clean sheet" let him face an inquiry before the judge. He says he has nob had a oh&nce to defend himself. Lab him demand an investigation at once, and, above all, let him csase to mislead. If his draft for £30,000 was a good one, where is the cash^ Or what besame of the outs? That draft was used to bolster up two rotten balance sheets, and was evidently as valueless as tjhe sheet of paper on which it was written, indeed more so. Yet Mr Ward has now the unblushing andaoity to say the transaction was a pure one. Mr Lee Smith is to the fore again, and is to help the Government at the coming eleotion purely out of friendship for Mr Ward. Such is New Zealand,and Liberalism in 1896. Shades of John Ballance ! Can this be so ? In the name of thy Liberalism aye those Tory aotions perpetrated? — I am, &c, July 7. One and One are Two.

The Floods in the South. TO THE EDITOR. Sin,— l notice a paragraph in yesterday's Timsfl from a Wyndham paper skating that I had lost 200 sheep by the recent floodi. This is nob correct ; my losses are perhaps a dozan. Thanks to the energy of my overseer and shepherds (who have been with me for many years), and who braved the elements during the night, I escaped seriou3 loss. The floods in the Waimea and the Otamete were the highest known, and it was the waters Qi these U»t flooded t.h.e M»tftiu% v abate the

unction of theie streams it was not unusually high. Now that the recent disasters are fresh ia people's minds, it is well to impress on tha authorities the necessity of giving warning of the sudden rise in rivers by telephone to tha various postal stations near the river. Ths Hon. J. G. Ward, when Postmasber-general, issued an order that warning should be sent, bub on this occasion I do not think sny notices were sent to or from the various telegraph stations along tha river. Daring a fhod the telegraph stations should ba kept open all night, and a red lamp hoisted as a danger signal, A'l the verjr high floods in ths Mfctaurft have come without any local indications. A large number of people live ia situations of great danger from flood water«, and unless steps are ta!<eu to forewarn them of a rapid rise of the head waters of the M»t&ur& and Waikaia some day there will bo a serious Icß3 of human life as well as stock.— l am, &c"7 Mandeville, July 10. George M. Bell.