VENICE IN NELSON.

Colonist, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7812, 13 December 1893, Page 3

VENICE IN NELSON.

To the Editor of the Colonist. Sir, — In part continuation of my yesterday's latter, the intelligent reader will have found that »he compound interest, at five per cent, on the £12Q,0Q0 owing by the General Government to Nelson since 1873 amounts to £198,461. No*, eir, that 13 a debt owing by the Government of New Zealand to the Province of Nelson at this preseat moment for interest only. If we add the prinoipal to tha interest, we have £318,461 due to us— unqu 'stionably dua to us. Nelson not only endowed the Government with this £120,000 twenty years ago, bat she has been endowing it ever since with rates and taxes year by year, and never a penny bas she had for it in return. Nelson helped the State with her bankrupt daughters when the faintly were called together tp fo?m— tjhall I say — one happy, whole, and undivided family. We dowered the lot, and we have had the polite kick out for it eY3t sinoe. We turned the other oheek, and we have had it on tbii other cheek also. That which we had was taken from us, and we were christened " Sleepy Hollow," And we've sept. The programmp I am satting forth now was shadqwei in Mr JohnKerr's [speeoh at the hustings. I worked hard to geji him in because he would have carried out this^programme. The Hon. the member eleot is of the same pQlitios. He has the same '■ go " in him and will, no doubt, go at it like a bull at a gate post or in a ohina shop. He has a splendid theme. A theme of right, the light to redeem the past, the past of down trodden, plundered, ill-used and neglected Nelson, Ec will by way of a beginning get as the aceumula ed inters st to date, £198,461. It will come in handy just now. To facilitate matters we might as well just jot down the account at once, perhaps. It will be as follows ;-rPouncil Chambers, Nelson, December 12tb, 1893. Tbe General Government of New Zealand, Dr. to His Worship the Mayor and Corporation of Nelson and the District of Nelson. £ S. d. For loan taken by the General Government on the amalgamation of the Provinces in 1873 120,000 0 0 To accumulated compound interest to date, at 5 per cent per annum 198,461 0 0 Total „ .. £318,461 0 0 Presented by the hon. the member for Nelson, John Gtahani, Esq, M.H.R, to whom a cheque on account for the interest to date £198,461, will oblige. Yours, &o, _ F. Boston, C.E.