The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, APHID 11, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 209, 11 April 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, APHID 11, 1877.

A correspondent writes • , —On reading the curtailed account of the County Council proceedings—l use the word curtailed, as the public [so far as the report goes] ire no wiser who to vote for or against at the nest election, not knowing what councillors voted for or against any motion, with the exception of the proposer and seconder.” The writer, naming a councillor, proceeds in the following familiar style “ 0, Tommy, Tommy, the dignily of being a councillor sits very lv aviiy on your shoulders, and if your

remarks aiienl. . . . bespeaks the size of your .soul, you are deserving of pily.” -Viter which, relYrenee is made to the fable of (he Kr *g and (lie Cow,” from Liiu moral of which it is thought said councillor might . learn something. Of course everybody likes, or pretends to like, a good local puner. The outcry heron; a printer "set up" in the district was great, and promises of help profuse. u Let ns have a paper by all moans, to ventilate our wrongs, and demand our rights Support support—of course we’ll support a paper right liberally, ’ It’d be a fortune' to any man to set up in the district. Why, everybody would advertise, and everybody would subscribe ; besides which, many of us would want extra copies to send away to our friends. Of course we don’t expect to have a paper like the London Timen, but just something- to let outsiders see that there is life in the district, with short accounts of meeting's and progress. The chief object is to make ourselves felt, and not be dependent on far-away papers, which have oilier interests to serve, when there are any wrongs to right, if only there was a paper, you’d see how it would hi; supported. Certainly it is a scattered district, and it would he expensive to gather the news if it all had to be paid for ; hut, bless you, there would be no need for that. There are plenty of able men in the district, who would ho only too glad to let the editor know what was going on. There would be volunteer correspondents in every nook ami corner, and the editor would always bo kept well [lusted up, and helped in the way of hints or with valliable original articles. Bah ! They would scorn to take pay for their hints, contributions, and lie] p. There would bo no trouble about collectingaccounts. Most people would pay in advance. There would be no need for travelling- muddy roads and by-tracks miles away from the main line of road money hunting. People feel too much the need of a local newspaper to give that trouble. They would know when the quarter was up, and such as did nut happen to pay in advance, would never rest till (hey had paid the newspaper accounts. It’s just simply a fortune to any man who’ll make a start.” —Experiences—l say, Mr Editor, how is it you have not got a special correspondent out witti the Arctic expo'dition V—Yon never have much of an account about the war in Turkey.— Why don't yon go in for cablegrams? You ought to have at least a column in every issue of your paper, with tiie latest news from all quarters of the globe. Pay a penny a word in addition to Agency and wire charges, eh ? Well, that’s not much, considering the nice little pile you’re making out of the concern.—Wonder yon don’t got special advices from California about the wheat crop.—Why don’t you publish the wholesale and ref ail prices of treacle, cabbages, and soap from all the chief towns in the colony ? I’m sure it would interest your readers.—You might manage to gut Stanley, the African ex-

plorer, to send an occasional letter.—Why don’t you put a nice tale in your paper ? it’s so nice to read tales. —Seems to mo, All' Editor, you’ve got a bit of a down on me, seem’ as yon was so smart as to put that little court case of mine in tho paper. You’ll please to take my adve.disemcnt out, and stop rny paper.—Aly particular speech,- just the very points I wanted noticed (the very cream of tho whole discussion), appear to have been thought by your reporter as not worth notice ; while the rot uttered by that idiot who represents blank district, a man that ought to bo ashamed to show his face in the public streets, is reported. You need not expect mo to take your paper again.—Mister, I never see my name in the imports, and I always borrows a paper when I know the steamer has boon in. The last trip she made, she brought Alb. candles, Is worth of treacle, 3 tins of sardines, 1 paint brush, A lb. tea ; in fact, a whole wheelbarrow

full of things. Well, yon know I can’t afford to advertise, or take the paper in, but still I like to see niy name in the imports.—Give you news and not bo paid for it V No fear, my friend. You expect me to pay for the paper when I can’t borrow it, so you must pay me if you want news. Wo fear wo have somewhat wandered from the subject. A correspondent would like to see fuller reports of proceedings in the County Council. Reference to vciy many papers in other parts of the colony, will show that it is deemed sufficient to insert simply resolutions passed, without, in some oases, even the names of the mover or seconder.—We should like to sec a little less trouble given to our collector in gathering accounts, some of which have boon outstanding a considerable time, Wc should like to see a little more in the shape of advertisements from tradesmen who are well able to afford it, and who would largely benefit by advertising.—ln our reporter’s visits to different townships in the district, his observant eye has noticed written papers calling for tenders for various works, stuck up on door posts or hoardings, as. also other public notices. Wc should like to see such wants advertised. It would be as well to the benefit of the general public as to the paper, and would give outsiders a better opinion of the importance of the district, if such notices were advertised. Wc would like to sec many improvements on the part of the general public in dealing with newspapers, and would then guarantee to improve the quality of the paper.