The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April ii, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1029, 11 April 1912, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, April ii, 1912. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Foxton’s municipal enterprises, viz., Municipal Hall, picture entertainments and skating rink, are proving themselves revenue producing propositions, and those who opposed the loan proposals for the erection of the building—without which such educative entertainments and healthy recreation would be municipally impossible—now candidly admit that they made an error of judgment, and endorse all that has been done. Foxtou has been subjected to a good deal of adverse criticism by outsiders, and referred to as “a one-horse town,” but such is not the case. Foxtou is progressing along right lines. It’s rating is based upon the unimproved value of the laud—the most equitable basis ; its people burdened themselves for a time with an extra rate in order to acquire the gas works Irom a private company—and in the years to come they will never regret this step ; and now clean, educative amusement and recreation is provided by them and tor them. It there is to be a monopoly, they say, let us all be in it. The surplus revenue derived from tbe above mentioned sources will lessen the rates and inspire the people with confidence in schemes yet to be submitted. Water and drainage is essential to good health, and this question will have to be faced by the representatives of the people again in the near future. The porous nature of the soil has saved the town again and again from pestilent disease, and as the population increases the risk of an outbreak becomes greater. We depend upon our housetops as catchment areas for water, and all kinds of filth are conveyed from the gutters into the tanks from which we draw our supply. If these receptacles are not periodically cleaned, it can easily be imagined what is taking place therein. The pan closets are a disgusting nuisance, particularly in congested areas, and in summer, dispite the use of disinfectants, encourage flies contaminated with filth about the dwellings. A water and drainage system would minimise all these obstacles to health and cleanliness. But the question arises; where is the water to come from ? The scheme will be very costly whichever source of supply is decided upon, and there are three, viz., tapping and filtering the Manawatu, artesian, and the Shannon hills. This question is the most vital which our representatives will have to lace, and the cost must be a secondary consideration. The Council has done much in the public interest in the past which leads us to look with hopefulness to the future. When we get our water and drainage scheme settled, public swimming baths and a fire brigade will follow as natural corollaries. Anyhow, Foxton is moving ahead on right lines, and when the Harbour Board comes into its own, and the Main Trunk line is looped up between Eeviu and Marton, in-

dustries will spring up, and the place will go forward by leaps and bounds.

For many years the Greytovvn folk have desired a track across the majestic Tararua ranges to connect with this coast, both for tourist and commercial purposes. The most suitable place for the purpose is between Greytown and Otaki. It is many years since Greytown initiated the proposal and subscribed money for a survey of a suitable route. The survey was made, but owing to lack of public interest and funds, enthusiasm waned. A few years ago a Iresh start was made on the other side and a committee set up to further the proposal, and sufficient money was subscribed to form a track and build a hut up Mount Hector. Mr W, H. Field and a few Otaki people have kept the movement alive ou this coast and now the track appears to be an accomplished fact. This year Mr Field and party have succeeded in crossing the mountains, and the description of the journey and the magnificent scenery encountered has been made public. During the Faster holidays a Greytown party came across and were met at Mount Hector by Mr Field and party. Though sufficiently advanced for enthusiastic mountaineers, it will be necessary to erect two shelter huts, and mark the route over the bare mountains sufficiently to enable it to be followed in fog, before it can be said to be ready for the ordinary tourist and pleasure-seeker. It is hoped this will be accomplished next summer. Mr Field regards this walk as perhaps the finest in New Zealand when regard is had to the magnificence and extensiveness of the views obtainable, and the charming mountain, river and bush scenery, and he is glad to find an ever increasing interest being taken in it by Wellington, Mauawatu and Wairarapa people. He thinks, however, that the cone ridge leading from Mt. Reeves to Mt. Hector should be fully explored before the present route by way of the Tauherenikau is finally adopted, and very probably a Wairarapa party will undertake this exploration next summer. We hope the time will not be far distant when regular communication will be established across the ranges between Otaki and Greytovvn and Shannon and Eketahuna.

A system for modifying the drinking habits of the people—for dealing with the city’s drunkenness, to use his own words —was suggested by Bishop Crossley at Auckland last week. “I have seen more drunken men in Auckland,” he said, “than I saw in five years in Melbourne. I am not going to touch upon anything political, nor do I want to hurt anyone’s convictions upon the policy which was presented to the country lately, and which resulted in such a remarkable vote. But are we going to wait for five or seven years under the present conditions, or has not the lime arrived for us to uuiie in burying, not a saint, but a sin, m this city ? I think the time has come when moderate men of every sect ought to be brought into conference to ask what we are going to do to alter the condition of the city. No matter what political vote may be taken on this subject, the one plain duty before us is to do something to remedy the state our people are in.” He asked them all, business men, labour leaders, prohibitionists, ana publicans alike, to unite and see if they could not help to stem this time of wrongs ; and he would venture to give them a platform. Only two points were necessary to be observed. Once, in England, he had talked with a working man, who said he believed that threefourths of the existing drunkenness, especially among young persons, would be stopped if all the bars of hotels had clear plate-glass windows, and clear plate-glass doors —a revolution that could be effected by the simplest enactment. He believed that was right. It a man was not ashamed to take a glass of beer —and he was not going to say he should be —let him take it before the public, standing up at the bar as he would at the counter of a cake shop. He thought that would modify the drinking habit enormously. Not as the enemy, but as the friend of the publican, he asked ; “Why was the bar muffled up and hidden behind dulled glass and screens ?” The second plank in the platform was pure drink. The temperance party had done wrong in being content to see the worst conditions prevail in this respect; and some — not the best of its iollovvers—had gloried in it, saying that the worse the conditions of the liquor traffic were the better for them. That was not moral. They ought to demand, by the severest of legislation, pure drink. His hearers knew very well how drink could be—he would not use the word “ adulterated ’’ but—“ manipulated,” so as to create an undesired thirst, in which state it had, according to medical authority, an injurious effect on the brain and stomach. Let them carry prohibition if they would, but they could not wait tor years, going contentedly on with’the present condition ot affairs.