AN EXPLANATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3274, 25 March 1885, Page 3

AN EXPLANATION.

i TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMARU HERALD. J , .- J~ '■ m ? namo is pretty freely menJ tioned m your yesterday's report of the lr Borough Council, I shall feel obliged if you L will allow me a fow lines m explanation. I ) may state that until reading your report I ! was not awaro that any exception had been • taken to my action, nor had any demand • whatever been made upon me for payment. I Had this been done, I would at once have

paid on being satisfied that I was even . morally responsible. As it is, I shall certainly fight the matter to the end. About nine months ago I informed the Town Clerk that I was dissatisfied with the chargo made (£9 12s), ns I found that more valuable . properties where a larger supply of water was used wero rated very much lower. He then said that the Council would be quito prepared to meet me, but | asked me not to take any action until my account was sent m for the next payment ; when the time arrived, howevor, I found the Council were not prepared to put me on the samo footing as my neighbors, and I deter- ; mined to givo up the water and proceeded to ' empty and clean out my tank. But, though I , pointed out to the Town Clerk that but for ! his special request I should have emptied the ' tank months before and had it again full of good water, he would give me no consideration, but said he should cut the water off unless I paid at once, which I did, giving notice at the same time that it was the last payment they would get from me. Showing that there was nothing underhand m my dealings with the Council m the matter, I, three weeks before the end of my last term, wrote to' the Corporation scavenger asking him to empty the tank. Of this letter he took no notice. Some time after, I sent a messenger to his house, when I got a reply that he would come and see me. Subsequently j he came and promised positively to send mo j a man, but never did so, and, after waiting until the last day, I got other hands, emptied tho tank, and refilled it with the Corporation water, whftsh, under the circumstances, I consider myself quite justified m doing. Surely the scavenger was not acting under instructions m his treatment of me, so that I might be again landed m the necessity of paying for a half year ? I am, &c., J. T. Warren. Timaru, 24th March, 1885.