The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal: Established 1875. FRIDAY, JAN. 25, 1884. THE WARD DIVISIONS.

Manawatu Times, Volume X, Issue 1158, 25 January 1884, Page 2

The Daily Times. The oldest Manawatu journal: Established 1875. FRIDAY, JAN. 25, 1884. THE WARD DIVISIONS.

Our contemporary still harps upon the petition re division into wards. Its column article on the mattter last night is weak to a degree, consisting merely of abuse of Messrs Abrahams and Milverton, whose straightforward letter of the night before completely demolished every statement the Standard had made m its two long articles of Monday. We notice the statement is made that Mr Snels'on denies having agreed to endorse a letter approving of the boundaries he and Mr Russell agreed upon. Mr Snelson has not. stated so, so far aa we are aware. ■ If he did so, then instead of publishing a statement secondhand, Mr Snelson should have forwarded a disclaimer to this office. As, however., the statement is repeated, and Mr Snelson has not denied it so far, we may inform the public that during the whole time of the interview between Messrs Snelson and Russell, which lasted about an hour, Mr Snelson never once demurred to the manner m which the petition had been sent ; he never questioned the right of Mr Russell to forward it, nor to discuss the boundaries. Mr Russell distinctly assured Mr Snelson that he refused to undertake the responsibility of fixing boundaries, and came to him because, being the Mayor, he had the largest right to determine them. Further, Mr Russell showed the Mayor a sketch of the proposed wards, showing a central one, and two side ones, but Mr Snelson insisted on two lines being run from Boundary Road to the River so as to make the Sqaur-e ward include Rangitikei street, and Fii#h,erbert street. Still further, Mr Snelson insisted on this division, first, because -he #aid the rents from the Borough reserves on Fitzherbert street, when they fell due would doubtless come into the Square ward, and second, because if the Square had the management of the two lines of road leading into the town the business part of the town could not be shifted. Mr Russell pointed out that if this division was effected the Square would W jjnderrepresented, as it could have pn)y three members, but the Mayor said no other division would satisfy him. The last words said by Mr Russell were, " Then if I write to the Government saying these boundaries are agreed upon, you will endorse it saying it has your approval." To this Mr Snelson said unhesitatingly, 'Yes.' On that assurance Mr Russell relied. In an interview with Mr Snelson this morning, he informed jis that what took place, according to hip view, was this: — He admits Mr

states that lie said the matter of boundaries was one for the Council to deal with ; also, that he fully explained the boundaries to Mr Russell, as already stated, and said that no others would satisfy him, although he thought the ratepayers would not agree with him ; that when Mr Russell was leaving what the latter said was this: — "Then, if I write to the Government saying you agree to these boundaries it will be all right." That he (Mr Snelson^ nssented to this. And lastly, that Ihe understood when Mr Russell left lie was .'going to write a letter to the. •Government setting out the proposed :■ boundaries, and saying he (Mr Snelson) approved of them. [Memo. — The MSS of above has I Been shown to Mr Snelson, and he admitted that it was a perfectly correct statement of facts, according to his view. — Ed.]