NAPIER.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 122, 15 January 1874, Page 2

NAPIER.

[from our own correspondent.] January 10. Some little effort has been made during the past week to induce the inhabitants of N apier to combine for the purpose of obtaining a water supply. A shower of rain, however, cooled the atmosphere, and washed the subject out of the mind of the public. During the past few weeks, the weather has been most oppressively hot, and no doubt was entertained at all that great danger existed to the safety of the town, should some accidental spark fall on any one of the half rottten shingled roofs covering the innumerable out-buildings in the backyards attached to the houses in Hastingsstreet. .Everyone was talking of the necessity of securing a supply of water, but no one would take the lead. The fact is it would be impossible to get the people to co-operate for the purpose, and the only true remedy against the selfish inaction of those who would hope to benefit by the energy of, and outlay of capital by. the more public spirited, is to bring Napier under the operation of the Municipal Corporations Act. There is just the chance that a destructive conflagration would bring the people to their senses. While on the subject of water. [ might mention that an'artesian well is being sunk on the premises of the Uuiou Bank of Australia for the supply of the new hotel that is being built for Messrs. Watt Bros. The pipes are down over 100 feet and sanguine hopes are entertained that a good flow will be obtained.

By the last mail from Poverty Bay, a few copies of the new journal, started in that district reached here. All whom I heard speaking of the Poverty Bay Herald were of opinion that it was a very poor production, looked at from a literary or a printer’s point of view. The account in it of a “Trip to the Oil Springs ” caused a good deal of offence, especially amongst the members of the religious denomination to which the presumed author belongs. Amongst newspaper men, I can understand that remarks of a disparaging character concerning the advent of the Christian era, would be either overlooked or laughed at, but newspaper- men have no right to overlook the prejudices, or the firm convictions, founded on religious belief, of a Christian community. The general opinion expressed here was that the editor of your new paper had committed another grave error, and had exhibited a want of taste that could hardly be forgiven. A paragraph reprinted by you from the Bay of Plenty Times to the effect that Mr. W. W. Carlile purposed opposing Mr. Kelly for the' representation of the East Coast District in the General Assembly, caused a great deal of amusement here. Mr. Carlile has not signalized himself as yet as a public speaker. On the one or two occasions in which he has addressed an audience he has completely broken down, the most notable instance of failure being one which will never be forgotten in Napier. It was at a meeting called for the purpose of denouncing Mr. H. B. Bussell ’s proceedings in connection with the Hcretaunga native land transactions. Mr. Carlile might have spoken fifty words, but his style of oratory was of such a novel description that his friends left the Oddfellows’ Hall painfully disgusted. It was felt that he had done his cause more harm than good; nevertheless the Hawke’s Bay Herald published no end of a speech, occupying several columns, and containing the views of Messrs. Ormond and Co., whose political tool and convenient mouth-piece Mr. Carlile has apparently studied to qualify himself for. Mr. Kelly may not be the most desirable representative you could obtain, but to exchange him for Mr; Carlile would he certainly jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Since Mr. Robinson, the late energetic Captain of the Napier Rifle Volunteers left the province, the Company that owed its numerical strength, efficiency, and popularity, to his unwearied efforts has, been gradually declining in these three essential particulars- It has lost a good

many members, the attendance at parade is very thin, and it has lost its band. At the last monthly inspection there was not a commissioned officer of the Company present, and only 16 members out of 60 showed up.