Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1886.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11131, 18 February 1886, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1886.

Mb Geokcje Fisher occupies nearly two columns of Monday's issue of the WelliDgtonPresß in a trenchant reply to an inspired artiole whicli appeared iu the Post in reference to the purchases of property in the priucipal cities of the colony by the Government Insurance Association, 'j'o back up ;his contention that the association has no power to make speculative investments inland, but only to make such purchases as may be necessary for ihe purposes of the as* sociation, Mr Fisher quotes an opinion officially given by the legal advisers of the board, which fully beam out his view of the matter. It would have been well fbr the wire-pullers of the board if they had religiously kepfc oufc of print, and refrained entirely from volunteering any in*, formation with regard to tbe board's management of the business of the association . Bo long as fchey maintained a discreet silence, so long did Mr Fisher appear to feel that he was in honour bound not to reveal the board's trausac* tions, or fche circumstances surrounding them. But when Sir Julius Vogel unguardedly telegraphed his letter to the Auckland Herald, Mr Fisher must have jumped for very joy. It unsealed his lips, it set free his pen, it gave hini the very opportunity for which he was pining, of unburdening himself before the policyholders and the people of the colony, There is no better qualified man in the colony than &ir Julius Vogel for making out a specious case, and there is no more capable critic for exposing sophistical reasoning thau Mr George Fisher ; and in the present instance it must be confessed thafc the late Hansard reporter has made the great Sir Julius look mighty small. If, however, Mr Fisher's general reply to fche Colonial Treasurer, as published in the Auckland Herald, was keen and trenohant, the letter of the former in the Wellington Press of Monday last is even more mer cil ess in its exposure of the improper and unwarrantable transactions in whioh the board has been en* gaged. The inspired or contributed article in the Post, which was to have orushed Mr Fisher, has given the latter a splendid opportunity for retaliation, of which he has not been slow to avail himself. We regret that we have not space sufficient fco permit of producing Mr Fisher's letter in its entirely, bufc fche following partioulars with regard to fche purchase of tile Aucklaud property will suffice to give a pretty fair idea of how the game has been played : — Attached to this purohase there is a his* tory of a mosfc interesting character. Sometime toward the end of February, 1885, the Deputy-Chairman (Mr Tole) announced quite suddenly at fche end of a Board meeting thafc Sir Julius Vogel, who was then in Auckland, had senfc through him a request that two mem' bers of the Board — Messrs Shannon and Graham— should be sent to Auckland fco inspect Shera's property, whioh had been offered to him for £22,000. This proposition was so unusual and so exs traordinary that ifc struck me wifch very great surprise. No warning ; no qnes^ tion previously submitted as to whether it was or was nofc desirable to purchase property iu Auckland. Send tw ■•> mem« bers to Aucklaud to inspect Shera's ptoperfcy I Fo mention of anybody else's property. Shera's and Shera's only. Well, I said, for the sake of regularity and docorum, lefc us first pass an abstract resolutiou affirming that it is desirable to purchase property in Auckland. This was done, and Messrs Shannon and Graham were requested byresoiution to proceed to Aucklaud to inspeot Shera's property, aud any other suitable properties tvhich they might discover to le open for sale; Ifc is handling che truth very tenderly to say that they "were sent to Auckland fco inspect several properties which were under offer." There were no other propei ties under offer. Shera's, aud Shera's only, was the offer which came through Sir Julius Vogel. Well, for 8 reason, whioh I will not explain, Mr . Shannon declined to go to Auckland unless I went also, aud next day tho Board mat again specially to pass a resolution requesting me to accompany Messrs Shannon and Graham, Arrived at Auokland, and having inspected Shera s property, I found ifc to be, in my opinion, so utterly unsuited to the purposes of the association, that I decided at ouce, for my parfc, to have nothing whatever to do with fche purchase, but I learned also— l am not a mau who travels wifch his eyes shut— that that was the property fche associa - tiou would purchase, or none. We looked about for other sites, ifc is true> and when we returned we submitted a list of properties, from amongst which the board selected Shera's, and the committee, consisting of Shannon, Grabam, and Fisher — the " Commissioners " they were derisively called in Auckland, where they were evidently recognised as being on a fool's errand —were instructed or authorised to complete the purchase. I then declined fco acfc upon the committee any longer. Mr Tole was appointed in my place, and the purchase was completed ; so that if the twin gar biers were not previously " aware that he (Fisher) specially opposed the selection of this particular property when the general qnestion was decided againsfc him," they know ifc now. I should also like to explain, if you will kiudly allow me to do so, that on my return to Wels lington 1 vvas very much amused as. well as puzzled by the " chaffy " attitude of oue or two jocular members o? the board, who, having heard of my strong objection to fche proposed Shera purchase, were constantly, wifch a merry twinkle in their eye, meeting me with the quaint, and as ifc seemed fco me, quite unnecessary phrase, " You've got to have Shera." At the time I could hardly grasp their humour. I was able to grasp it a little time afterwards. We have got "Shera" now, as every* body is aware, and what to do wifch it we hardly know. r ' ' -r. I The row of American planes afc the northeast eud of Taupo Quay is disfigured by a dead tree, which should be uprooted and replaced without delay. Tho liev. Father Kirk left for Wellington by the Stormbird last night, to be present at tho reception of Cardinal Moran, and also afc the opening of at. Patrick's College. Referring to the approaching meeting of the New Zealand i-tttle Association heie, ' " Argo r >u?," in fche Tarauaki Mews, predicts that " Wanganui may look forward to losing one or two of her fair ones, as Nelson is said to have lost in that line after a meeting." Tho game writer says, fchat ifc ia now an open secret that the lata cuiate at Bulk; intends to bring an aetion against thu bishop of the diocese in lh«, Wellington, tUipremo Court, for revoking his license. Perhaps " Argonua" in his next viil let the public iuio tho icason why tho licence *waa revoked. What hud the Reverend gontle man done, or omitted to do, or what waa ho doing, to bring himself under Lbo ''an of hia ecclesiastical superior ? I Special traina ate to Lo run to suifc tlie Hawera races on th-3 21th instant,