PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 28 November 1881, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answers thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. Names of writers need not be printed. In Affectionate Remembrance. Number 1 was a seller of merchandise rare, And he claimed to be chosen Patea’s first Mayor. No. 2 was a brother-in-law, up the town, And he wished to be Councillor black, or a brown. No. 3 was the brother of a brother-in-law, Who didn’t expect to be Town Clerk, you know. No. 4 was a brother-in-law of the Mayor, And he wanted to lay all the Nuisances bare. And so these three brothers-in-law and a brother Were eager to go in for helping each other To “ boss” the new Borough, with purpose so hearty, And pull all at once for the Family Party. Don’t fancy these lines arc a criminal libel: They’re true, sir, as any you find in the bible. - . ■ ABOUT MAJOR ATKINSON. I see from your Normanby correspondent an article reflecting considerably upon the conduct of our representative (Major Atkinson). I have no doubt I express the wish of all well-thinking people when I ask your correspondent to give us a few facts and figures to bear out some of the random statements he has made. First he asserts the question has been asked why does there exist so widespread a disposition to obstruct the return of so distinguished a statesman. We should like to know by whom such a question has been asked, and of whom. We trust that the people of Normanby have not so far forgotten themselves as to ask such a question of the Normanby correspondent of the Mail (that is if any real'obstruction exists). By integrity and uprightness of conduct our representative has risen from the ranks of ordinary men, and has held honorably one of the highest trusts of the colony. And we may say that Major Atkinson and his colleagues took the reins of Government at such a critical time in our history, when we, as a colony, were on the verge of financial paralysis. The most perplexing subject, the one of most vital importance to our individual and collective prosperity at that time, was to manage our financial affairs so as to again bring us around from the tide of deep depression which was then upon us, to comparative prosperity. Major Atkinson (whom your correspondent would dismiss with disdain) was the man who gave the subject bis profound study, mastered it, and mastered in a manful manner, and established once more the going of the colony. No man in the House of Representatives has worked with greater zeal to maintain the honor of the colony, and no member deserves greater credit ; and the first who ought and I believe are proud to show their appreciation of his efforts are the electors of the Egmont district. At this end of the district we give the Normanby people credit (knowing them well) to exercise their judgment aright, and if they do we have no doubt as to who will receive the majority of support from the Normanby district.

Again your correspondent says the Major’s persistent advocacy of the harbor scheme is his culminating offence. The reports of Sir John Coode and Royal Commission are kept in the background in his calculations and figures. Strange to say, we have always understood that it was upon the particular report of Sir John Coode that the New Plymouth works were commenced at all, and to this day are being carried out upon the basis of calculations and plans drawn out and prepared by that eminent engineer ; and at the office of the New Plymouth works his (Sir John Goode’s) plans are to be seen and works executed from them. Sir John Coode together with our most prominent colonial engineers positively assert that the New Plymouth works can and will be brought to a successful issue, and that within the limit of their calculations, and when your correspondent asserts that to anyone who has studied the subject (and we suppose that your correspondent is a profound student of such matters) must understand that the money at the disposal of the board would have to be largely supplemented. We should like to see a detailed statement, some facts, some figures, something substantial on which he bases such broard assertions.

We cannot accept such loose random statements, unsubstantiated. If we do we must accept them in the light that surely a Daniel has come to judgment, and over

thrown all the skilful calculations of scientific engineers, but cannot by any process of reasoning show us how he has overthrown them.

Then again, in reading the article of your correspondent, we should be almost led to believe that in parliamentary affairs Major Atkinson reigned supreme : that the Major only had to say the word and should be done, and anything that was done should be undone. We should judge too that the Major is expected to know where every little ditch is, where a culvert is required, every little stream where a bridge would be useful; every bridle-track and cross-road should to him be known, and he by virtue of his supreme authority should immediately order any construction or improvement to the district he represents, Surely no well-thinking man would for a moment wish to return a man to represent them who would be a pliable tool for every petty local scheme ! Surely no man would wish to rob their representative of all sense of manhood by not allowing him some latiude in the exercise of his independent opinion !

And I think when we look from one end of the district to the other—l may say from Wanganui to New Plymouth—we cannot say we have been utterly neglected. We now see railways open from New Plymouth to Hawera, from Wanganui to Waverley, and the rest of the work between Waverley and Hawera is much of it under construction, and surveys still going on. Roads have been made to all important settlements, and to many that are likely to become important. Harbors have been and are still being improved ; and we as a district can in comparison with other districts consider ourselves exceedingly well favored, for we are safe in saying that no part of New Zealand to-day shows more healthful signs of progress and prosperity than the district included from Wanganui to New Plymouth. Your correspondent says nothing of lands that have been opened for settlement even in the Normanby district. No, he is evidently a man with a grievance ; one who would much rather destroy than construct ; on e probably who looks for all that is sublime) perfect, generous, in fact all the virtues stored up in one man ; and we think he will still look and never find his ideal of perfection.

We notice too your correspondent imagines a grievance because the Normanby railway station was not put directly opposite some particular hotel, and of course condemns the Major. Your correspondent does not seem to take into consideration that the Government employ engineers whose duty it is to watch the interests of the country ; men who have made a study of all such matters for a life time, and who are paid for their services and experiences. He does not take into consideration the cost of land opposite that particular hotel compared with the cost on its present situation. He does not take iuto consideration how much more traffic would have to cross the station yard opposite this hotel. No, his argument does not seem to point to any general good. Then your correspondent dismisses him (the Major) with disdain. No, the electors of.Egmont district are too sensible a body of men to dismiss with disdain one who, though he holds up no profession of perfectness, yet has served his country well, and stands tc-day a man to whom the finger of scorn cannot justly point ; one who to the best of his ability has done the greatest good for the greatest number; one who has not sunk all his ideas of broad statesmanship in the cesspool of petty local schemes ; and one I say who has always acted, as far as his individual efforts would go, for the particular good of the district he represents. And we still know that he enjoys the confidence of the majority of electors in the Egmont district. Pko Bono Publico. Patea, Nov. 26th.