PROGRESS AT THE NORTH SHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 588, 28 November 1871, Page 2

PROGRESS AT THE NORTH SHORE.

THIS delightful little watering-place and sanatorium is shewing great marks of permanent progress. Very great alterations and additions have recently been made by the Messrs. Holmes to the Flagstaff Hotel, which, when completed, will make it as fine aud commodious a building of its kind as any to be fouiid^ the province. There is no doubt ™6 thei . both it and the Masonic Hotel, at v' end of the township, will prove gn^ of attraction to those wJo »$ 0 V or , eaßure . Shore ii..search o bod* 1.,W« J A The Highway Board U» down, and the raised footpath has be > . n road widened in -£ J workg of ' lg „ift Lnd^ful character, mu,t prove \ P «. .? IP^ory to the ratepayers. The i 5S*. ™*« reently-appointed t. »*!«■'•" making satisfactory, if not very "v, progress ; the number of pupil* at pre- j on tbe roll is nearly sixty, and it is ex- ! pected that this number will greatly increase. , Several new houses are in courso ot erection, | and more would be built if ground suitablo , could be obtained on fair and reasonable i terms. Communication with the metropolis is frequent and certain. The ferry ! service is now entirely in the hands of the J Messrs. Holmes, and there is hardly a doubt but that if they exercise judicious care and J management in its conduct they may retain it for an indefinite period. The late opposition has worked a needed reformation, and it is to be hoped that tho lessons learnt by experience will not be thrown away. The religious wants of the community are well provided for. There are au Episcopal and a Presbyterian Church, where services are conducted every Sunday, and we hear of cluss meetings on week days. The intellectual wants ofthe residents at the North Shore are certainly at the present time not sufficiently cared lor. A great improvement in this respect might bo effected by the establishment of ft literary institute with a lending library ai tached. '-.hero is talk of a choral or musical society being in course of formation. Why not a literary institute ? Fathers of families an I employers of labor will do. well to take this hint, and by its adoption do incalculable good to those young men under t.ieir care and influence. It should he reme i.bered that a lad's education is not by any meani completed when he leases school, there be ha*, only laid the foundation ; it is i v the office, at tlie desk, in the countinghouse, at the workshop, or on the farm tlvit it is to bo farthered, and it may b<? comploted ; and every opoortunity should be afforded for storing their'minds with scientific and other usoful knowledge, which, in many instances, can only be learnt from books. As these last are generally beyond tho means of young men, their only chance of obtaining tiiem is from the public library, which moßt decidedly should bean institution in every district, Our Provincial Legislature acknowledged this at its last session by voting a sum of money (small, it is true,) for the encouragement ol publio libraries. ,