WAIROA AND WAIKOKOPU.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 946, 20 July 1903, Page 1

WAIROA AND WAIKOKOPU.

In connection, with the controversy,' as to Napier v. Gisborne, a new and forceful champion has come into the; field, in Mr Geo. R. Joblin,/of Nu-! haka, who, while being loyal to the . Waikokopu harbor, follows up the lines laid down by. the Times, of attention being directed eo communica- : eatijon )bjy'. rail. Mr JohJi!n,'in,thei course of a letter to the Wairoa Guardian, deals .with the selfishness of those who think that everything is to be subservient to that town, and then he proceeds When the prophet peremptorily demanded the,approach of the mountain, and was unheeded, he, as the contact was necessary, had to journey, to the mountain. Herein is a .lesson and example. Waikokopu Will not go to the. Wairoa town or to the Heads, and hence, as it is indispensable for the prosperity of the county, that contact should be secured, and no other Available alternative exists, Wairoa must even go to Waikokopu, Here,' in a few Words, we have the ultimate issue. .Wairoa must incorporate' Waikokopu or be superseded by Waikokopu. But there are lions in the way in the guise of obstinate prejudices, of long cherished' and wide-spread delusions; -to : be demolished. Be “it; so. By, dispersing prejudices 1 and dissipating delusions, ..we’ shall be acting in mc-i cord with the spirit of the age,, and 'be, complying with -the Scriptural injunction “ Prove, all things hold fast .that 'which is good.’' Then comes the question of distance,which alarms many, but it is little, more > than a scarecrow to frighten those who don’t think or reason measured by miles, it exercises a deterrent effect, but measured by minutes the effect'is' reversed. Due consideration being accorded to the easy grade of the proposed railway", or motor route from Wairoa to Waikokopu, dnd to the facilities for increased speed, now attainable, it Would not he an unreasonable anticipation to conceive the possibility of an express train running at an early, date between Wairoa and Waikokopu in half an hour, or less, of time. There is nothing chimerical in this assumption, and its ultimate realisation is about as certain as -.is the appearance in due season of the year 1904. The question of doubt and difficulty is as to the period when this acceleration of movement shall be secured. No definite reply here is available, hut it may be safely assumed- that such period will hinge upon the reasonable nature of the claims- advanced, ans the intelligence, energy, and unanimity displayed by. the country settlers in the ' prosecution of those claims. The obstructive element which will impede, postpone, or delay that ; period will be found to proceed from those, settlers whose range of vision does not extend beyond the boundaries of their own compounds, and who cannot or will not understand that their personal interests are pot the paramount consideration to which the 'general interests of the" country, settlers and others must be subordinated; Mr Napier Bell estimates in his report the distance direct from Napier to Wairoa to he thirtyfive miles. He does, not . give the distance between Napier and Waikokopu, hut .I am told it is about, 10 1 miles further. A boat making ten miles, an hour would run direct from Waikokopu to Lyttelton in 25 hours 30 minutes, and a boat making 15 miles would cover the distance in 17 hours. This would enable visitors firorn Canterbury-to visit the Nuhaka Hot- Springs easily and speedily, at periods when the use of the Hanmei Hot Springs is precluded by the Joy ' tewp.etatoQ EreiaUißs *taw 4 .