Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, NOV. 22,1900. Apathy.

Manawatu Herald, 22 November 1900, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, NOV. 22, 1900. Apathy.

In the " good old days " of this district men were not all for self, they felt they had a duty to the district and their children to do in pushing it ahead in every possible manner, and this in times when both private and public revenue was much less than it is to-day. There seems to have fallen a pall of apathy over this town which is most disheartening, people have no interest in public matters and the district thus never advances. Nothing for the people or district can be worse than this, as Fleming truly remarks, "As the passions are the springs of most of our actions, a state of apathy has come to signify a sort of moral inertia - the absence of all activity or energy." We all seem to require a galvanic shock or regular doses of some of those all saving nostrums so freely advertised. We have many wants which could easily be acquired by the possession of the least faith in I the district, but the majority of the residents are listless, so much so that the Mayor stated only the other clay that the Borough Council was left to lav; btoi'ekoepers to run, This id

certainly an instance of the apathy that we complain about, but we cannot understand why the storekeepers cannot see that any improvement made in the town must act in the same manner on their businesses. What we desire to urge most particularly upon the residents is the great need for a good swimming bath, we have the river, and apathy steps in and says it is enough. We have before shown that this may be enough for those men who can swim, but we are confident we but express the general opinion when we say it is not enough for children and men who cannot swim, but it is of no use to the women of the town. Surely our wives and daughters are entitled to some consideration and most particularly in this health-giving form. We were in hopes that this matter would have received some attention at the hands of the Borough Councillors at their last meeting, but they successfully escaped doing anything then, and it appears to be their proud hope of retiring from office with the reputation that by doing nothing they have done no harm. There are sins of omission as well as those of commission, and a district becomes more alive when its representatives have the courage to " something attempt," than when they simply fold their arms in slumber. The want of a public bath, with the exceptional facilities we possess of having one, is a reproach on the Council and a disgrace to the town. These are hard words but we think they are fully justified as money is to be borrowed at only four per cent, and the interest would be most trifling. The real objection appears to lie in the fact that to get a public bath and a loan would ii^ur the serenity of the Councillors being disturbed-;-' that it would ; quire »J,&jj§—fcpmgobtained and ft ■ as-heing carrieif, whichJjfwgrfnF'hci' into the train ji£"tr6uble an ongineer being seen, and a few " old fossils " being talked to and persuaded against their ancient objections to a loan. What are the people to do without a loan ? The majority need the requirements a loan would give, and are willing to pay their share of the rates whilst residents. It is the obstructive actions of the bona-fide residents that want removing, some few, though willing to take the good rents offering now, are frightened that a day may come when the residents will flee away and the few who shall be left will have to carry the burden. This is old-time foolishness, for what part of the colony where any go-aheadi3m has been shown has ever gone back ? Bo true to your district, and whenever an opportunity offers to improve and advance it, seize it, and the district will never go back on you. This is no question for a private resident to take up, it is essentially a public matter, and the best attention of the people's representatives should be given to it. If it were not for the prevailing apathy, many instances of which could be quoted during thb last month or two, the matter would have received better attention and work would almost have baen begun. The apathy complained of is not only visible in the Council but in many other matters affecting the good of the district at large, in which the want of energy on the part of those who complain, let matters run along in the same old rut. May we soon have an awakening of the public in all questions affecting their best welfare.