The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 320, 11 May 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1878.

There Lave been a few heavy showers of rain lately. Any visitor to Hawera would imagine there had been a flood. Water lies in pools, not only on each side of the main street, but also on unoccupied sections, and underneath dwellings in various parts. The Town Hall site has a notably damp appearance. The rising “city of the plains” has some disadvantages —amongst which may be mentioned want-of natural drainage. This matter unless grappled early will bring in its train evils which will not be conducive to progress or healthlulness. It is a positive nuisance to have to cross from one side of the street to the other, and at night it can hardly be safe to do so. Certainly tradesmen have laid planking here and there connecting the footpaths U'ifch the metalled road, which arc much used in the day time, but at night it would bo a difficult matter to hit on one of these temporary and slippery kind of bridges. To avoid a mud bath it is often deemed best to make a long travel up one side of the street to a possibly dry or safe crossing, and then down again for the simple purpose of visiting*an opposite tradesman or friend. rHouses are springing up rapidly, an evidence that population is increasing fast.. Every now resident and

every additional family adds to the refuse producing capabilities of the township—additional rubbish heaps, slops, bones and waste meat, dogs, eats, and other domesticated animals, and so on, all which for want of scavengering or natural drainage increase the amount of decaying and putrid matter and offensive smells and the liability to disease. It cannot be long before the water in wells —the chief source of supply— begins to be affected. Thus another doctor’s friend will have been, created and the public health assailed.' Considering that only a few showers have yet fallen, prospects as regards the healthfulness and attractiveness of llawcra during the coming winter are not bright. Will the townsfolk prove equal to the occasion and take stops to remedy the present inconvenience and looming evil ? Properly the Town Board should move in this matter. Failing to do so it would he well for the general public to do what their representatives appear to be indifferent about. Wo consider the Town Board, if it has not already done so, should get levels taken by a qualified Engineer, and ascertain the cost ofridding the town, by some simple system of drainage, of the slush and pools of stagnant water now to be seen on every hand.. We have been informed by the wise-acres that a comparatively trifling outlay would cover cost of serviceable drainage for the town. The opinion of a qualified Engineer should be obtained, and if a feasible plan can be devised, for health and progress’ sake, it should be carried out. Since the above was in type wo notice that the Town Board have called for tenders for adverting.

“ Inquiries are being made as to where the s.s. Clyde can be. She left Wanganui last Friday night for Patea, and was expected to arrive at Wanganui again on Sunday, but up till Tuesday evening she had not put in appearance. The weather has been exceedingly line, so that cannot be the cause of tier dctcniion. She probably touched the ground while going into the river, and started some of her plate, or perhaps neaped by the prevailing S.E., weather, though that should not occur with spring tides, or the Patea river must be in a sad state.” The above extract is from the Wanganui Chronicle , a paper which awhile ago made great pretence of beingdesirous of helping on Patea, and asserted that it was not antagonistic to the Patea Harbor scheme. ‘‘ Onward ”in a letter which appeared in the Mail, took up the cudgels on behalf of Patea, and rather plainly sheeted homo the false pretensions of the professedly friendly Chronicle. Probably tins, and perhaps the other—may he tins and likely to he that. The Chronicle had not the slia low of foundation for the building up of the detractive and malicons spleen contained in the above quoted extract, and it must have been moved thereto by pure envy and determination at all risks to stay, if possible, our onward progress. The reason is not far to seek. Patea bids fair to bo a longway ii-liusul of Wanganui in the commencement of river improvements, and Patea is within a shave of having a steamer of its own, and so be in a position to save the extra 80s per ton freight, and exorbitant storeoge and other charges, which certain ‘ merchant princes’ of Wanganui have 1 nthertolevied on all transhipped goodspassing through their hands from Wellington or other ports. Xhs opportunity of keeping hack transhipped goods for the sake of compelling Patea storekeepers to buy from Wanganui wholesale houses is about to he. lost for ever. As a means to that end, a good man in the shape of Captain Gibbons lias been taken from Wanganui to have charge of the proposed new steamer, Patea, with the savings to be effected by direct communication with Wellington will' not begrudo to pay for efficient service. The Chronicle sees that Patea is slipping from the clutches of Wanganui, and is getting venomous. It was quite unnecessary for inquiries to be made as to where the Clyde was.p She has been expected in Patea by the wpek and by the fortnight, when there has-been no vaild reason, so Anas Patea river was concerned, why' she should not have put in an appearance. It suited the whim or tffe pocket's of Wanganui ‘merchant princes’ to keep the steamer back, and it was so. “ The weather lias been exceedingly fine, so that cannot bo the cause of her detention.” The Chronicle knows that the weather must be very exceedingly fine for the s.s. Clynle to venture on the briny ocean—a very slight swell on the bar or show bf waviness at -sea making it judicious to hold back. “ She probably touelied tlic ground wJniJe* g'oing - into the river, and started some of her plate” [gingerbread we think would have been a more appropriate word]. She did nothing of Hie sort, nor was there the remotest chance of her doing- so, as is evidenced by the fact that conditions were so favorable that the magnificent and powerful s.s. Clyde, or, rather Hie skipper, undertook and safely tnwed in two timber laden vessels. The whole paragraph is one tissue of malicious imaginings, begot of envy and determination, if possible, to keep Patea back and damage its future prospects. Better treatment from Wanganui in the past, and Patea would probably have been content to continue to pay' tribute a few years longer. The overreaching and desire for domination' will work its own cure. Patea will shoitly be free as regards steam service. We trust it will also be able to shake itself free in other respects.

The question is how best to raise the means. From the number of persona who attended the meeting on Thursday evening, there is no room to doubt but what the general feeling is that there should be a good turn out on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Patea Breakwater. Ail property owners—town.and country—will so largely benefit by the carrying out of proposed works that it ought not to be necessary for the Committee to have to canvas for subscriptions. —all should step forward voluntavilly with donations. Many suggestions have been made, but if the feeling was general that it was an occasion on which it would, pay to donate, the question of raising funds would be settled right off—that is if the feeling was followed by action and cash

passed or name given for certain amount. As ths mackrel for a sprat feeling runs considerably in all communities it may be necessary to adopt some' or perhaps all of the suggestions made—that is to make a general canvas, and as well ask the various local bodies and friendly and other societies to give or guarantee a certain amount. Some think the Harbor Board should stand all costs. As however for the work a-head Harbor Board funds arc limited, we think it would be better for each of the local bodies to contribute. The County Council being of chid: importance might head the list, other bodies contributing according to importance, the Harbor Board included. Wc should however prefer to see ready voluntary contributions. We hope a few days will see satisfactory solutions of the ways and means question.