TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11977, 21 September 1906, Page 7

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — In the leader in your issue of the 20th instant occurs the following: "Cr. Liffiton who invariably gets into a state of what is vulgarly termed 'blue funk' whenever the word loan is mentioned acted as might have been expected, etc." Permit me to say a sinner who acknowledges his sin is generally credited with taking the first* step towards repentance. I am glad therefore to see you have taken that step in that you call the phrase you use vulgar and undoubtedly it is so, but during the few years that I have lived in the district I have not generally obtained credit for the characteristic you describe— l deny your statement that I have opposed every progressive measure for years past. It is quite true I opposed wasting trying to run water under pressure through earthenware pipes at Virginia Lake, and it is true I opposed the water scheme supply from the river, but these are more or less personal matters between you and I and do not much concern the ratepayers, but here are some facts that do very much concern them, viz., that during the last year of the regime of the "borrow and scatter" party our expenditure exceeded our revenue by over JE6OOO. The ratepayers coon saw what was going on and cut off the head of the hydra, but the body is not yet killed. Some of the heads left are getting swollen, and the result is that the official estimate for the current year is that we are to again exceed our income by some .£SOOO to £6000. ' Such a mode of conducting business could, if pursued by an individual, only lead to one result — we are trying to leap before we can properly walk, and we cannot hope to turn Wanganui into a London in a couple of years as some people seem to think. Let you and I, sir, both work for the best interests of our district by endeavouring to support only those who advocate living within our income. — I am, etc., E. N. LIFFITON.