The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, MARC 14, 1883. GETTING INTO TRAINING.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1009, 14 March 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. WEDNESDAY, MARC 14, 1883. GETTING INTO TRAINING.

It must riot be supposed from the above heading that we are about to enter upon a course of athletics, or that we intend taking off a little superfluous flesh prior to accepting a mount at one of the numerous race meetings now being held on the Coast. Although we like a little sport quite as well ns anyone, and much regret that we cannot boast a racing club in Patea, our thoughts in penning the above were quite in a different direction. We had in our mind a sentence from the sensible speech ot the Chairman of the Harbour Board at Monday’s meeting. He spoke of the necessity of getting things in training with a view to an ultimate result. Now we all know the preparation an athlete undergoes before he enters upon a contest. His object is to cover a given distance in the quickest possible time, and in order that he may be ready on

the appointed day, he makes preparation beforehand. He gives up “ the weectjr---leaves whisky alone, eschews the pastry cook, and generally attends to his health. In sporting phraseology he is “ all there” when wanted. Nowit seems to us that something like the above passed through the mind of the Chairman when he was speaking about gettting things “in training.” Of course we don’t mean in a literal sense. Heaven forbid. The language of members is already sufficiently vigorous, and if it were intensified by three months’ active bodily exercise the consequences would be terrible to contemplate. Joking apart, what we mean is that before the Board can accomplish their final object—the construction of the western pier—there is a great deal of preliminary work to bo gone through and we are glad to see that there is an earnest desire on the part of member's to tackle it. The report of the Engineer has been adopted almost unanimously. That necessarily mnst.be the first step. It shows what work is wanted, how it should be built, and what it will cost. The next thing will be to get the sanction of the Government to the proposal. That will take a little time for Governments can stand a good deal of asking before they will give a reply. Plans will have to be prepared and submitted to the Engineer-in-chief and a precious lot of formality gone through before we .can expect the order to “go ahead.” By the time that is received, it is to be hoped that something will be done with regard to the railway the other side of Manntahi. And speaking of this we think the people in the district ought to wake up and let their voice be heard upon the subject. It is no use jetting things slide along in the old groove any longer. Meetings ought to be organised throughout the length and breadth of the Connty, and it should be insisted—yes, insisted is the word—that the line should be pushed on with energy, and at once. Take a lesson from Canterbury. Look how they wake up the Government when they want anything 1 in connection with a railway. It may bo urged that they have a large population and, in consequence, are able to bring greater, pressure to bear. To ns it seems that for that reason we ought to cry the louder. Our line has received the sanction of Parliament, and is scheduled as one of the first to be undertaken from loan. Well, part of the loan has been raised, and why not have it spent. We would urge an agitation, strong and unanimous. Don’t let ns be put off with promises; let us have the line and nothing but the line. The district is being kept back for the want of it. Settlers are losing money through its non-completion, and our town is languishing for want of better com r mnnication with the country. If there are any patriots in Patea let them stand forward now. There is a glorious opportunity for asserting our rights, and muring f,h° —that, we am

tired of tLe present do-nothingness, and wont put up with it any longer. Let ns follow the example of the Harbour Board and get things “ in training.” We fear we have digressed somewhat from our subject. We said that the engineer’s report was adopted almost unanimously. There was an exception— Mr Adams. Every gentleman has a right to his opinion, and also to express it. If a majority of his colleagues hold different views he accepts the inevitable with a good grace, and having accepted it he loyally lends his aid to further the object in view. Now we say unhesitatingly that in Harbour matters Mr Adams is loyal to the backbone. Like the rest of us we suppose he has his crochets, but we believe that if the money to make the breakwater could be got in the moon, our energetic friend would see it there was’nt some scheme by which he could “ lift” it. Knowing his strong desire then for harbour improvement, we may henceforth expect to see him working with the majority of the Board. Unanimity is a positive necessity inside the Board, or how can it be expected that the public will assist in any scheme. Some would side with one side and some with the other, and in the end nothing would be done. We are sanguine enough to believe that if all pull together a great deal may he accomplished, and that at no distant date.