THE WEST RIDING COUNCILLORS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 85, 23 November 1911, Page 8

THE WEST RIDING COUNCILLORS

(To the Editor Post.”) Sir,—The correspondence that has appeared through your columns dealing with West Hiding County matters proves Hjudyard Kipling’s lines, than can ho applied as a rule to most public affairs:— “And reap his old reward, the blame of those ye better, the iiato ol tnose ye guard.” Such is the reward of diligent service, and many years of time, thought, aiid money spent in public interests, it is well for the community that some men take on these duties from the point of view of education, relaxation, and the love for the work itself; defeat to them has no sting, for their past public service and the benefits the many receive from those labours is the only reward they look for outside of the personal gratification they get in the work itself. My purpose, however, in writing this letter was to put one or two questions to “Three Votes’ in the hope he would answer them. In passing let mo remark ho must be a most humorous individual, when he speaks of me “being under cover” wnile he writes under the nom de plume of “Three Votes.” It is too tunny. I might explain, however, that J have been waiting patiently for Messrs Smith and Anderson’s co.urage to get them to “too'the line,” but it appears to be a vanishing quantity. Von will remember, sir, it reseed in one case with “the consent of the nominators,” merely a quibble however; and in the other, well—the Taihoa pulls 1 should imagine. lint to my questions which i trust in the interests of public morality ‘!‘Three Votes” will express his opinion upon: (1) Should the county representative of a riding act to protect the interests of the ratepayers as a whole against the illegal encroachments of tne individual? (2) If an individual entered upon “Three Votes’ ” property and removed iUOyds of metal estimated as such and valued by a competent engilneer as worth 4s a yard, what name would “Three Votes” give to the action, ao authority having been asked to do so? (3) If “Three Votes’ ” aired man had expostulated with this individual, would it raise the alorosaid individual in Ids opinion if lie abused his servant, or would lie excuse the individual if others had stated “the stuff w r as not worth much”? (4) Do such aforesaid actions tend to increase public confidence in men who aold public positions? “Three Votes’” complaint as to the Riding valuations is paltry in the extreme. Meetings were held at Rowan and in the county jjfice, over which 1 presided, the vainer and his chief being present at die latter, and every effort to equalise and reduce values commensurate with the reading of the Act was done, aid if “Three Votes” had an injustice done him by excessive valuation lie has himself to blame, just the same as the man who encroaches vonr feet on the main road with his fencing lino must take the consequences if the Council in protecting the interests of the ratepayers and unable to got satisfaction from the owner take the matter in their own hands aid remove the obstruction.—l am, etc.., DAVID L. A. ASTI3URY. (To the Editor, “Stratford Post.”) Sir,—ln Mr Marchant’s letter of the 20tb instant lie seems to doubt Mr Anderson’s word about canvassing. 1 wisli to state that Mr Anderson never, to my knowledge, asked any one to vote for him and ho certainly never asked me to canvass in any way for him. Referring to “Two Votes” in Tuesday’s issue, re my speaking to “Two Votes” the day before the election asking for votes for Messrs Anderson ami Smith, 1 was working homo on the farm and not near the road the two days before the election and ;:iw no one to my recollection, and lot one that I remember speaking to, •viiilc so-called caav.using at only four anises was in favour in Mr Astbury. ‘Two Votes” asked (in ids poem) if lo was dreaming. He .was, and it v.is a mean man’s dream, and if the iriginal author of that letter signed is own name it would be ;:i name fam--1 inr to ns all, I have no doubt. I ;huuld like to say that the councillors i ho lost their seats have not treated heir opponents us honest and respect-

ed men. “f air play :s-in.nine piny m every case. — l am, il:e guilty ! r«dln-r----in-law, S. A. MANN.