BOROUGH BUSINESS.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 962, 22 November 1882, Page 2

BOROUGH BUSINESS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Inspector of Nuisances wishes me to write my name, but he has given me a very good name for the present, although being so young a pup I have bitten the Inspector rather severely. But as I have not got ray collar yet, I have not had a name, but when I go for my collar I will give the Inspector the privilege of baptising me : lam not particular what name ho gives me. But as I have been reared up a virtuous pup and I hope to die an Honorable dog— and will never disgrace my kennel—l dont want to be called Jacomb.

• Well, Mr Editor, I see that I have bitten Mr Lett as well as the inspector. I think that Mr Lett must have been to the play the other night to see “ all round the world ” in a few minutes, or else he has been dreaming, for he brings us down South in a very short time. But if he would wake up and rub his eyes once more he will find he is not down South but in Patea. I know that it would pay Mr Lett much better if the salary in the Council department was much higher. It would be a pity that Mr Lett should lose his talent by accepting the office of inspector, for every one that is acquainted with him knows that he is more fitted to

fill the Engineer’s billet, and lie will have a chance of something stronger than lavender water there. Mr Lett admits that we are not a dirty lot of people in Patea, but lie says what would we bo if we were not looked after. I don’t know who he means beside himself that wants an Inspector to look after him. If he wants the services of that officer, he is the only person that does. As for the Mayor, it is not what his duty is but what he thinks they should be. I will leave that for the ratepayers to settle shortly. Mr Lett thinks that I might have a friend that I could gel him into the Engineer’s billet ; but if any of my friends were here they would decline the title “ Engineer ” for anything that is doing in this town. I would like to know if Mr Lett told his friend that there was not one penny of the cost of the improvement paid for yet, nor will not be for many years to come, when we spend the revenue of two or three years in one. I think we will be a long time paying back the principle. But he makes a mistake in the two classes of ratepayers I can tell him. The ratepayers that are ruining this place are those who have mortgaged all that was theirs. They want a sham population here to see if they can make another draw. The second are those who have all they are worth in Patea for sale. It does not matter to this class of men how much money is borrowed, they don’t intend to stop here to pay any of it back. It does not matter to them whether it is fifty thousand or a hundred thousand. But I .am sure if Mr Lett can only sell his property he is not intending to go down south to that place where they pay 4s 6d in the pound. —Yours &c , Ratepayer.