The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 1893. Improvements Needed tor the Town

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 103, 18 February 1893, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 1893. Improvements Needed tor the Town

It is not quite such a novel sensation now for Feilding to be visited by a Minister of the Crown as it used to be, and for a second time we have been so honored within the last six months. When our worthy Mayor (Mr E. Goodbehere) heard that the Hon. Mr Seddou (Minister for Public Works and Defence) was en route for New Plymouth, he at once communicated with him and arranged for a deputation to meet the Minister when he at - j rived by the mail train from the north on Thursday afternoon. The report of the reception of the deputation, and the proceedings thereof, are published elsewhere, and it will be seen that the replies Avere of the customary stereotyped non-committal order. Of course it does not follow that merely because a deputation asks for a thing, a Minister, who is only one wheel in the Coach of State, should at once pledge himself, and his colleagues, by giving either an absolute negative or affirmative. The Hon. Mr Seddon did neither of these things, but promised to lay the several matters which the deputation introduced before the Ministers at the heads of the several departments concerned, and to do his best, so far as lay in his power, to bring his colleagues to the same way of thinking as the deputation. The want of a new post office building, where absolute privacy could be assured between the post office officials and all members of the public having confidential communication with them, has been long felt ; and with the daily increasing population of the Borough and district that want is becoming more apparent every day. Another cogent reason is that it is quite within the range of possibility that a telephone bureau will have to be established here before very many months are over, when the present post office building would be found both too small and too inconveniently located for that purpose and the additional demands on its space entailed. As to a resident clerk of the R.M. Court, the inconvenience caused by the present system is impossible to measure, especially as regards the residents at a distance who cannot possibly know, by intuition, that that official only visits Feilding on two days in each week, and what particular days these are. In this connection Mr Seddon made a very practicable suggestion to the effect that if the Justices of the Peace in the neighborhood met and drew up a memorandum to him pointing out the desirableness of such an appointment being made, he would endeavour to appoint an additional constable who could undertake the duties of Clerk of the Court, and at the same time assist the constable already stationed here who has a very large district under his charge, and who is notoriously overworked in consequence. The Mayor was good enough to speak in favor of a grant in aid of the erection of a drill shed for the local volunteers, representing how well they had kept up their strength and efficiency under very adverse circumstances. Mr Seddon, as Minister for Defence, replied that a certain sum of money was allotted each year for tiiis purpose, and if proper representations were made to him, he had no doubt but that the Manchester Rifles would receive a share. Of course it is merely a matter for conjecture whether the Government will undertake to grant the several requests of the deputation, but still a step in the right direction lias been taken. The fault hitherto of the Feilding people has been an extreme modesty, or timidity, in bringing their wants under the notice of tho-e who have the power to supply them. Now that the initial step has been taken, we feel confident no reason for com plaint on that score will appear in the future, and they will not be afraid to ask. Long years of neglect have taught them the policy, or advantage, of self-reliance in that respect.