TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6085, 30 November 1886, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

(B 7 LOOKER-ON.) At the last meeting of the Bjrough Council, Mr A. Laird'a lettor was probably the most important communication read— imporfcantbecauso it draws attention to an act passed hat session, which ia of vital interest to many who have leased Harbour Board or Municipal reserves. Hitherto leases that have bson taken at a time when land foyer prevailed, huve had to be etuok to, or the leaaoe, if ho oou\d not help himself, might get rid of his burdena by going thro jgh the Court. 1 here was only the one method possible, and many unfortunate spec'utors had to adopt it, as looal bodies had no power to reduce rents. "The Public Bodies' Leaseholds Act 1888,' i however, provides a way out of the difficulty, as olaute 11 empowers leasing authorities to accept the surrender of a lease on euoh terms as it thinks fit, and to compromise with, or make any allowances to any tenant or tenants for any rent due, or that may beoome due, It will be within the recollection of readers than on aaveral occasions Messrs Mason, E. Howe, and others have applied to the Harbour Board to reduce their rentals, bat without avail, and Mr A. Laird has before this endeavoured to induce the Borough Council to treat him fairly, but that body was powerless. These gentlemen canaot afford to Jet their properties go by the board while they undergo the white washing process, and consequently they have had to hold on to their leases, but their time has come at last— if the looal bodies are agreeable. Of course there are two sides to every question, and it would be decidedly awkward for corporate bodies who have relied on a fixed income to meet interest, &c;, if they should be asked on all side? to reduce rents, but there is not muoh probability of that in Wanganui at anyrate, and the instances named with perhaps one or two others, form, I think, the most noticeable Poor Gough, ex-Salvationist, reputed owner of £10,000, and real owner of a widow with nine olive branches ! Why do I use the word " poor " — well, not out of any s ; mp»'hy with him, but just as a handy term to apply to one who is down on his luck. Sympathy for him I have not a j )t, and I was father surprised that he got off so lightly. Light sentences, ho»ever, are a characteristic of Hh Honor Judge Rawton. Probably it is hia long residence in that delightful spot, New Ply. mouth, which has made him at peace with the world and inolined his heart to mercy. Look at hia action with regird to the native Tieme Bopiha. Here was a knowing young Maori up to all the " ways that was dark and tricks that are vain," who deliberately promised a creditor payment when his sheep were sold, and when he had received his money for the sheep, politely told his long-suffering tailor to go to a warmer climata than this. The story he told about the money held by Wirihana Hunia, may or may not have been true, but if it was, then he had handed in a false statement of assets. Jt is always a diffioult matter to get at a native debtor, and the judge in thia ease would have hive given dishonest Maoris, and flash young sprigs of the native nobility who sport the latest fashion in tailor made clothes, run race horses, etc., and tell their creditorsthey will pay "bye-and-bye." To a certain extent those who trust Maoriß deserve no pity, bnt when they have lost their money by the sharp practice ,of unscrupulous natives, the latter should be taught that there ia a law in tho country .to prevent thia sort of thing. Reverting again to Beriah Gough, I consider he &zserved at least a month, and probably two months ; a fortnight ssems a ridiculously light sentence for a man who imposed on a storekeeper in such a shamefull way. So we have to thank Taranaki and the political influenoe of Major Atkinson and Mr Samuels for our new and wonderful railway time-table. At least, so lam told by one who knows the end and aim of New Plymouth's actions. Nothing would do Taranaki but a through tram stopping there two nights a week, and their leading men moved Heaven and earth t3 get it, and succeeded ■ Tho upshot of the whole thing will be that for a couple of months or ao the whole of the railway traffio in this distiict will be upset, and then matters will take a turn. The department will find that through passengers have no ambition to hasten themselves into their graves by journeying from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. over such lines as those we have in New Zsalard. I bavo held the idea for a long time that one reason why thia sootion does not pay was that local traffic was subjugated too through passengers, an! I inolino atill to the opinion that this ciuse and for this reason 1 will watch with interest tho returns for the next two months to Bee how the Taranaki policy piys. I oonfess that were I a through passenger from Wellington to Wanganui in a day would be quite as much as I should care about, and 1 am inclined to think that the major.ty of passengers will bo of the same opinion — however time will toll. There is something like a fair deoision being arrived at by tho new Charitable Aid Board on the question of the destitute children now being boarded out at Burnham and St Mary's Schools. It is aoknow. I43ged, except pethapa by a few, that to charge these children o i the towns whence they came is unfair, and therefore a proposition will be math that, so far as they are ooncerned at any rate, a uniform levy will be mado on tli9 district. This, of course, is a step in the right direction, and may possibly lead to auo'.her right «tcp, tha uniting of the Waitotara and Wanganal counties with the borough of Wanganui In all charitable aid matters. However ono step at a time is good progress, and from what I hear the step alluded to will be taken almost at once. Enquiries are being made just now as to when tho river improvement party will commence work again. |7om what I can hear it is high time Mr Anderson started his men at it, the river ia gotting low, and it is to our interest to have the channel improved so that communication may be maintained during the summer. There is so much yet to be dono, and comparatively so few months of tho year in which the work cAn ha touched that it is advisable that a start should bo made at once.