The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 203, 21 March 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1877.

New Plymouth papers report Colonel Trimble (Chairman of the Taranaki County Council) as having said at the last meeting, on mention being made by a member of the Council, of the importance of completing the Mountain Road, that “ the people of Patea were beginning to regret that they had separated” from Taranaki. The following is an extract from the Herald's report of the meeting referred to : Mr Webster said with regard to the extension of the Mountain Hoad, when the deputation had an interview with Major At kin-on. lie mentioned that they would have to borrow to do the work—that they would have to raise a loan to metal the road from here to ilawera. This was a very important question for them to consider. —The Chairman said that the principal mala road through to Ilawera would

have to bo made, or tin-’district could not pro per. It win necessary to ire al! their energy lo get if, made and metalled through. When he wa; at Patea he had an interview wiili Uio-e who had .some authority there, and pointed out that as they liad secured the bridging of the rivers, and the tailing of the hush along the road, it was now necessary to use both their influence to get the Government lo metal it also, and until this work was finished it. was the duly of the Government to give them all the assistance they eou'd ; in the mci'-ti'inm it was for the Council lo say how it thought the road could he maintained. The people at I’iuoa were beginning to regret that they had separated from the district: but probably if they had been one. they could not have brought that amount, of influence to hear on the Government that two Counties would he ahie. If would lake about £10.01)0 to make the road through to I’atca over and above whni the Government was now doing ; il would, therefore, he for them to say if they would feel inclined to tax themselves to metal (Ids road by mean ;of a local rate. When they came to con-idcr the ipiedion he had no doubt they would decide lo do what was fair. Tlio iVe'txw reports Colonel Trimble its having said, “ That the people tit the other [Patou] end felt that their welfare depended cm an easy communication with ns, just as much as wo feel that onr welfare depends on an easy communication with them, and they regretted the separation which had taken place, feeling that wo should have done better as one County.” Jt would ho interesting: to know who “ the people ” at Patea were who regretted the separation from Taranaki. It would be difficult to find many (if any) persons in Carlyle, or neighbourhood, to subscribe to the opinion given by Colonel Trimble as the opinion of “ the. people,” much less “ the people ”as a whole. The same may be said as to residents at and in the neighbourhood of Hawera—in spite of a slight and somewhat landiblo spirit of rivalry which exists between that thriving township and the County town. It is simply nonsense to suppose that people living South of the Patea River desire to be linked with Taranaki. Quite an opposite feeling is general. The separation of this district from Taranaki is really looked upon by “ the people ” as a. matter for congratulation and not of regret. It is felt that the separation (long since desired and striven for) will enable the people of this district, and indeed of the County, to execute works easily, which, so long as the district formed part of Taranaki, would not have boon started, nor probably even dreamed of by those who had control of the purse. For some years this district was totally unrepresented in the Taranaki Provincial Council, and the difficulty and expense of communication after representation had been secured, militated against the usefulness of the members elected as representatives. Faith in some cases has not been kept by the Executive with the district in regard to money appropriations. As an instance wo may mention £2OO voted at the last meeting of the Provincial Council for a Lock-np, and which money was never paid over, and consequently was never used for the purpose for which it was voted—the Executive failing to credit the district with the cash, on what may be termed a flimsy excuse, and which is , so looked upon by the then M.P.C.’s through whose exertions the amount was placed in the Appropriation Ordinance. Out of sight, out of mind. Money derived from land sold in the district it is felt has not been fairly apportioned. Taranaki had the handling of the cash, . and took care that but little of it should be returned to this district. Money which should have been devoted to making roads to now blocks of land was , withheld. It was spent in the North. As a consequence, on land being put up for sale, the price realized was small . compared to what would have been , obtained had the proportion of money from previous sales, properly the property of this district, been spent in roadmaking at this end. Feeling is strongon this point. It is considered that the province as a whole, and this district in 1 particular, has lost largely through what is termed the selfish greed of the Provincial Executive, and its utter inability to comprehend, or determination to ignore, the wants and rights of this part . of the now Provincial district. A comparatively small expenditure of money on road-making - in this district, would have enabled double the price realized to have been obtained for Government land sold at auction, and so have benefited both ends of the province, in that a larger amount of money would have been placed to credit for opening up new roads. The cost of road-making-, ; again, in the North and here is vastly

different. For the same amount of money, about five times the length of road could be made in this district as in the heavy bush lands of Taranaki, It is the stupidity shown by the Provincial Executive in overlooking what was manifestly as much to their own interests as to the interests of the people here—viz.— the formation of *roads to land previous to sale, which has so embittered Patea people against Taranaki. Pateans appear to have had all heart for engaging in public works taken out of them, through the habitual neglect of their best interests by those in authority, and longed only for separation. They were willing’ the district should be tacked on to Wellington, Wanganui, or any other district in preference to Taranaki. Yet Colonel Trimble is reported to have said, that The people of Patea were beginning to regret that they had separated from that district.” The Colonel is in error. It is quite true that there is, and for years has been, a desire, and a very strong desire, that through road communication should be opened with New Plymouth, at the back of the mountain. Hawcra and Carlyle

settlers have been untiring in then* | efforts to secure so desirable an object, St has been the subject of public and private effort, and in season and out ot season, lias been kept to the front as the. one object which would most speedily yield profit to the hulk of the settlers, help to devclope the vast natural resources of the whole district, and increase the population, and as a natural consequence the value of the land. It is still felt to ho a pressing want, and it is earnestly desired that prompt steps should be taken to help fonvaid so important a work. Patea people are also quite alive to the benefit which Taranaki would derive from the formation of a good metalled road from here to New Plymouth, and are desirous of cooperating with Taranaki to compass au object which would prove mutually beneficial. ‘When it was bruited abroad that one object of Colom! Trimble’s visit to Carlyle was to consult the Chairman of the Patea County Council as to a plan of action, very general satisfaction was felt. When persons who had some authority in Patea had talked the matter over with the Chairman ol the Taranaki County Council, and after other persons had also had an opportunity of ascertaining Colonel Trimble’s views, a less satisfactory feeling prevailed. It .seemed to those who had some authority hero that Colonel Trimble did not take a broad 'view of the question, that ho was too much infatuated with his own preconceived notions of what should and should not be, and indisposed to do other than what served his own purpose best. It seemed that ho was inclined to make a deal which should prove a bargain lor the one side (his own) and possibly a sell for the other side. There was a little too much of the shrewd business clement shown. Inglewood, Inglewood Roads, Inglewood interests, appeared to he the top, bottom, and sides of the Colonel’s ambition. As an over-fond mother would willingly sacrifice a nation rather than harm should befall her beloved ones, so it appeared with Colonel Trimble. Inglewood interests were his interests : all other interests must go to the wall, a kind of sacrifice to his one idol. On this account the Colonel did not create a favourable impression whilst here. There Is every desire on the part of those in authority here, and on the part of the people, to work harmoniously with Taranaki in regard to obtaining through communication by way of the Mountain Road. There arc also other important works which require to he done in Patea County, which are rapidly rising to equal importance with the construction of the Mountain Road, and which may, indeed, become more important. Amongst others may he mentioned River improvements, and the need for tapping;, by traflieahle roads, the splendid hush country in the southern portion of the County. Patea people fed that their interests have been systematically ignored by Taranaki, as a province. We do not go the length ot public feeling on this point, yet cannot blind ourselves to the fact that there arc just grounds of complaint. It is, however, satisfactory to state that the separation from Taranaki, ami the constitution of Patea into a separate County, with power to manage its own affairs, has had such a soothing effect ou the public mind, that past grievances are willingly buried, and a desire is felt to work with Taranaki where practicable and mutually advantageous, if anything like equal terms can bo arranged. Taranaki must not now assume too much of the paternal. Patea, as a County, can no longer ho ruled by Taranaki notions, and whilst there is every desire to work with amity, every approach to bossing, or bounce, or misicproseutation will be resented.