HAWERA OPINION ABOUT PATEA

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1028, 30 April 1883, Page 2

HAWERA OPINION ABOUT PATEA

At the last meeting of the Hawera Borough Council a letter was read from the Patea Harbour Board, asking Hawera Council to co-operate in urging upon the Government the necessity for more rapid progress with the railway. The remarks which followed are reported in the Star.

The Mayor inquired if it was tha wish of the Council, that he should call a public meeting to consider the matter.

Councillor Jones doubted if such a meeting would be largely attended. It seemed to him that people in the borough did not take much interest in the matter, as it was feared the completion of the railway would do the borough harm.

Councillor Thomson combatted this view, and

The Mayor characterised Oonncillor Jones’ remarks as absurd. Councillor Thomson moved “ That public meeting be called to urge on the Government the advisableness of proceeding without delay to complete the south railway.” Councillor Major thought the Patea people should set a lead instead of asking Hawera to do so. The Mayor agreed, and said that while Patea professed to want northern trade it did not bestir itself much, Ht instanced the matter of the Manawapou Bridge. A month or six weeks ago the Patea County Council urged on Hawera County Council the importance of the approaches to the bridge being made good. The Hawera Council agreed, and said it would go halves in the expense. The Patea people then applied to the Government for assistance, and received it, but instead of doing the approaches, they spent the money on the Patea side, up the hill, and then called on the Hawera Council to make good the approaches on its side. If tha Patea people had had the interest of their port at heart they would have completed the job, looking to Hawera to pay half cost as agreed. The road, of course, was almost impassable so long as the Hawera side was not completed. He did not think the Council should bother itself much about this matter. If the Patea people wanted the Northern trade, they should bestir themselves, and not ask other people to do the work, because Hawera could be as well or even better served by Waitara, and it was not Hawera’s place to give Patea a lead in the matter.

Councillor Thomson was of opinion that the railway should be pushed on and completed, and then, if Patea could secure the Hawera trade by doing things cheaper than Waitara, he should be glad to see her have it. There was no doubt the railway was being constructed as slowly as possible. Motion agreed to.