PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 22 May 1882, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answers thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics,: and matters of interesti to the Patea district. Names of writers need not be Printed.

{HOW TOWNS ARE SUPPORTED.

To judge from a . recent speech of one ;of the worthy Hawera cbuncillors, a casual ; reader— unacquainted with the-- resources ;and situation of town's on the West Coast . —would imagine, that HaWera mast be a Thriving and proiriising trade centre, of exceeding affluence and importance. He refers to our “paltry little town ” as a place of “ second-rate ” capabilities. No doubt it is a matter for congratulation that Hawora will sbon in all likelihood be lit with gas, but her worthy citizens, either collectively or individually, need not, because They have got the start of Patea in this particular, supply ;us vyjth too much ,of - the explosive and windy substitute for it beforehand. One;;fails, on reflection; to see in ; what respect Patea is a second-rate place in cotnparison with Hawera. Indeed in some respects the “boot is on the other leg,” as all the imports of Hawera go into that bustling mart of commerce (as “grandfather’s clock ” did) “on wheels.” It cannot even boast of a “ miserable driblet of a stream,’ as one; of New former statesmen dubbed one of our rivers. - : 1

One cannot help reflecting that this too widely spread spirit of petty jealousy—the feeling that Holmes described in the phrase “ Boston thinks itself the hub of the Universe ’’—does .not tend to either a j rue-national or eyen individual prosperity. If one New Zealand town, prospers, does it not indirectly- benefit all the rest? and surely it is not to townsmen when they-see a sister town- bntstripping them jin any progressive work,To try) and retard. progress either by action or deprecatory speech; ■ : And indeed Patea might be more prosperous and progressive if less party spirit and cliquism .were part of its distinguishing features. If a|l our influential residents had the true interests of the town and district at heart, they would not coldly criticise any proposed public work, but give those entrusted to carry it out, all the aid .they conveniently could. Then perhaps we should not long be a place of “second-rate ” importance to Hawera, even ‘in the matter of gas to illuminate our now nightly, dark and gloomy streets., . . ) A striking feature in some of the Patea imports may be. briefly; alluded to. It would naturally be supposed that wealthy; residents who 1 have acquired their wealth in the town and district, would; where practicable, spend some of it with the : local tradesmen. But such is not the case, as certainyeceut business transactions will show. A case in point might be mentioned. , A well-known gentleman, long a ‘ resident of Patea, mot considering; the local manufacture suited .to-his fasti- 1 dious taste, • lately invested inf A buggy, which Tib 'doußt had to' pay freight and incidental charges before it could reach | its destined coach-house ; thus taking ! money 7 out of .the district that : would' materially advance its prosperity. ; Other i cases might be, noted, but this one instance; will show that Patea townsmen are pot so* public-spirited as they might be.—l am,! &c.,. Anti-Town Jealousies..* 1