The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 375, 20 November 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1878.

Is Miothcr cuju'rin- will be found portion of article from our Taranaki contemporary setting fort!, in a. kind of balance sheet fiv rr wo-ks done and in progress and votes obtained and other benefits received 'niif. ibe i iuvernment, for which it is disposed 'to lx* truly, thankful, and goes the length of stating “ Providence has li. u specially good to us during the past .'-Except that onrcontemporary thinks it “more judicious in these worldly affairs,'especially" political ones, to offer up thanks after the blessings have been aetnaMj’ bestowed,” it would be prepared to “ offer a kind of pvc.Urainary thanks - for the benefits we are about to receive.” Perusal of the article itself will show leaders what those benefit? , arc. Tara-

nakl m n .v be (Tinnlrful that it is so well ; .'Wcsrutc:! w ' Farlsament. it .s li;.- li.uii n.-e in its favor not only of its uA'ii proper members, but also of the member who is supposed tt) represent this portion of the District, and who must, naturally be strongly. biased in favor of the start where his own interests iie, and however much desirous of seeing fair treatment accorded to Patea, would still be disinclined to run counter to what would benefit Taranaki even at the sacrifice of Patea. This is unfortunate for Patea, and the only proper remedy will be to send a local man as Parliamentary representative. Wc need not recount the many items for which Patea has special cause not to be thankful. The shameful way in which it has been robbed of land revenue, and its little wants in other ways ignored, is too well known. Thanks however to its wonderfully fertile land, and generally good natural resources, together with the en-

terprise of its settlers, it is not going to cave in. There is little doubt but that much of the expenditure in Taranaki will indirectly benefit Patea, though by no means sufficiently to cover the forced contribution to Taranaki Harbor ■ and Opnnake Hallway. We are largely interested in the Mountain Road, and it is in this direction that Patea will benefit from expenditure in Taranaki. From list of Appropriations by Parliament for miscellaneous Public Works, reprinted by the N.Z. Times for the benefit of the country districts concerned, we learn that £11,282 has been voted for the Mountain Road, Taranaki; £2,194 for opening Mountain Road to Patea for Coach traffic; and £3,000 for Main Road, Stoney River to Waitotara. It will bo for our local bodies to look well after the money thus voted, and get it spent whilst the summer weather lasts. Carlyle residents will have to bestir themselves in regard to railway works which should be started from the Patea River, whilst Hawera and Normanby will ol course not fail to agitate about both road and continuation of railway, the completion of either one or both of which will give still further advantages to those Townships and to the whole district. The progress in and about Hawera and Normanby of late has been something astonishing. Hawera.Township has been very considerably extended, and other blocks of land will in a while be put into the market to’ meet the demands of would-be purchasers. The information to be found in letter received from the Public Works Department by Mr Thomas Middlornas, that instructions had been given to the surveyors to lay fill'railway line ns near as practicable to the Town of Hawera, sets at rest r.il doubts which may previously have existed on this point. Hawera will be on the line of railway. Normanby has always been looked upon ns amongst the most promising of inland towns, from the fact that the railway would, of necessity, have to pass through. In respect of the present advantages and prospects of that township, we cannot do better than refer readers to sale of sections advertised by Messrs Thomson and McGuire, from which about five acres of land have been accepted by Government for site for railway station am! oilier public buildings. This township, besides the advantage it possesses of being the point of convergence for the leading lines of road and railway from Taranaki, Waimate Plains, and the South, is also situated on the margin of the bush, and is the most attractive of any township yet established within the County. Signs of progress similar to the above named, but not to the same extent, may be seen in various parts of Patea. Carlyle is beginning to move, and many residents are sanguine enough to believe that the completion of the Harbor works will shoot it far ahead of any possible rivals, and will place it in a foremost position on this coast as a port for exporting and importing. Sections -for residence sites outside the present Town Board limits, are being eagerly sought. We have previously referred to Mr Mcßae’s purchase on the Whenuakura side of the River, which has been surveyed as town sections. Another extension, comprising a large portion of the flat land bounded by the main road, and extending from the Patea Bridge, in a seaward direction, having extensive frontages to the river, with a considerable depth of water within a few feet of the banks, is now in the market for sale. The owners have great faith in the future of Patea as a port, but while ready enough to promote progress, by placing suitable sites for wholesale warehouses and business places adjacent to what it is anticipated will, in a few years, be lines of wharves, are in no way disposed to sacrifice the land. From the various contemplated extensions of towns, and from the high prices realised by sale of rural land,'outsiders may judge of the rapid progress which is being made. The towns would be nothing if" not back- d up by good country and industrious settlers. This coast is blessed with both, and the population is rapidly increasing. Unfortunately we cannot unctiom-Iy thank Providence, like Taranaki, for thvors conferred by Government or by the'LcgislaUire. We may, however, be thankful for being possessed: of the most fertile lend within the Colony, as its produce where cultivated, will prove, and with a climate than which none better can be desired. And we have faith that in spite of outside jealousies, and pull-backs by"those who should be most ready to help, and In spite of the wholesale filching of our land revenue, that Patea will progress. . We want roads aud ’’ailways to open Grown lands, and a local representative in Parliament, j and we musLagitate,.