PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, And Saturday. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1880. MORE RIVALRIES.

Patea Mail, 21 December 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, And Saturday. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1880. MORE RIVALRIES.

A kemkdv is suggested for all the evils by which bar rivers on this West Coast are afflicted. Wanganui river is in a bad way, but a remedy is found which will save a deal of expense and trouble to Wanganui people. Patea was for a few days in a bad way, and may be again ; mid the same remedy is considerately placed at our acceptance, and is rather pressed on ns. These rivers arc troubled with bars and sandspits and raging breakers and contrary winds. To get rid of all these evils at once, wc must accept one simple and comforting remedy. It is this: Go to Taranaki ! There a harbor is being made for the whole West Const district up to Wellington. Wc arc told “ the winds may blow, and the storms rage, and the waves beat on the beach at all angles, but there will be no bar and no sandspit.” Why not ? Because “ in choosing the Sugar Loaf site for harbor works, all these evils will be avoided.” Taranaki knows it. No use to doubt it, after Taranaki says so. Patea people are bidden to rejoice and be thankful that Taranaki is taking compassion on their difficulties, and is providing a sure remedy by making a harbor for Patea at the Sugar Loaves. Do not tantalise the Patea people in this way. If you are making a harbor for us, let us have access to it. If you Taranaki people mean business, you will try to propitiate the good-will of Patea, and enable our produce to come to New Plymouth in exchange for the commercial imports which you will send us. Unless yon arc quick about it, our trade will all go through Wanganui and Wellington. You profess to bo sharp fellows, up in Taranaki, but yon are so over-clever that you are driving our

trade exactly the way you don’t want it to go. You stop the railway, with your maladroit influence, at a point whore it is of no use (o the Patea district: and while you are rubbing your hands, wo are opening now connections with Wanganui, with Wellington, and with Dunedin. Servo you right, if you will cut off your nose to spite your face ! As soon as you use your influence to give us access to the new grand harbor at your Sugar Loaves, wo shall believe you understand the commercial problem of this West Const, and we will readily cooperate; with you. So long as you persist in the present narrow policy, we. abandon you as a hopeless case. You neither lead nor follow, at present. New Plymouth merchants arc so much nearer to ns than Wellington, that you ought to control the trade of the whole Patea district, if you only shaped like men of business. Even now you can’t see that you are driving ns into the arms of Wellington merchants more completely than before. Possibly you don’t know that we are opening connections with Dunedin. Patea people cannot wait for your convenience. Wo go at a speed that suits us, and it it doesn’t suit Taranaki, that is your allair. A good harbor at Now Plymouth, and a direct railway, would give to the Patea district just what it needs. We have been lately thinking that if Wanganui can deepen its harbor, that outlet will secure our trade. But the Taranaki harbor is to be so much better, according to your own showing, that you must be stupidly sleepy if you let us go the other way. It will take two years to make the railway section between Hawcra and Patea, and unless your influence is used to push it on now, wo shall have drifted hopelessly in the other direction by the time your harbor is ready for om trade.