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Pahiatua Star and Eketahuna Advertiser, Volume 1, Issue 16, 3 August 1886, Page 2

A public meeting ha- been convened bv Mr Crewe, to take place at the Templars’ Hall on Friday evening, to disuss matters in connection with the 1 proposed Post Office site. So far as we are able to judge, this question is causing an unnecessary amount of opposition, and instead of our public men being unanimous in endeavouring to further the interests of the district to the utmost, a spirit of rivalry exists which has a tendency to retard progress. It is not our intention to lay the blame on any individual member of the community, but we would strongly exhort all to cast on one side | for the time any personal feeling, and pull together for the bonefit of the settlers as a whole. The Government are apparently only too anxious to waive the question of establishing proper postal and telegraphic conveniences here, and we are sorry to say that the want of combined action on the part of j residents is a good excuse for them to | delay the matter. We have already [ j referred to two petitions that have been j forwarded to Government, and it is | not unlikely a third will be presented j from the southern end, asking that the ] office- be established there. This will i be another obstacle, and between the 1 three petitions our chance of securing ! an early settlement of this vexed ■ question is very small. In justice to ! the settlers at the southern end of the i township, we might say they are perfectly satisfied that the offices should I be con*rul, but if the residents of the | northern end insist on pushing their | claim, then they conclude that it j would only he fair to themselves to ! endeavour to show that they have an j equal right to he considered. Fair opposition is essential in nearly all public matters, hut in the present in- ! stance there is no doubt on our minds j that it is being carried to far, and i instead of being productive of the good | which invariably follows a well-debated subject, the very opposite is likely to j be the result. It i= to be hoped that this fpeling of rivalry will subside, and that in future the community as a whole will work with a will in ono direction, thus bringing such strong pressure to bear that it will be almost impossible for Government to further delay the establishment of proper postal and telegraphic offices. [We have received a telegram from Mr Crewe, who is now in Wellington, asking us to withhold the advertisement convening the meeting, as he is not likely to be back at the specified iine. The meeting will not therefore lake place on Friday, as announced at the commencement of this article.]

Not long since we mentioned that Mr Wakeman was prepared to give liulfan acre of land free for a public library and reading-room, since which, although we have had numerous inquiries from new settlers as to whether there was such an institution ' here, no notice appears to have been | taken of the offer. The site has been I pointed out to us, and for the purpose it could not ho bettered, therefore we see no reason why arrangements should not at once be made for taking advuntugo of an offer tiiut cannot be looked upon as anything elso than a generous one. There is a great risk, if the matter is delayed, of the opportunity being lost, as no doubt Mr Wakeman will not oonsider himself bound to keep the offer open unless he feels satisfied that the public are willing to accept it, and no blame could be thrown upon him if he were to dispose of it to-morrow. A public reading room would be a great boon to the district, and seeing that a free grant of land has been offered, there is no difficulty in the way of erecting the necessary building almost immediately. The cost of such a building would not he gnat, and we feel sure miy call on the | public for such a purpose would be I generously r> sponded to ; indeed no , direct appeal need bv made, for a few I entertainments in u<d would he sufli- | cicnt. It lias Ikwii suggested by some I lliat a Mechanics’ Institute would be ) more acceptable than the ordinary | reading-room, as in the forme r more 1 liberty of »f <sch is allowed, and men > so disposed could indulge in gamer of draughts and chess. No doubt ar- ! rangeinents could bo made to have a m v ni'v room for tho-i* who felt dis- ! pond to p<J- their time in a friendly game, where also discussions could uun- place; but these are matter* that 1 can well i ffcnl to wait until it has I been decided to erect a 1 uilding. Wo i m.i.-c:oly hi *** that ■otnclliii g '-'iii 1h 1< ne i ft. nr tl .*te offered >y Mr

Wakeman, who we Vrrievtf i also prepared to a i t materially in the erection of the building. 'Since tin- above was in type we are pleased to say some notice lias been taken of the math r. Before the usual Union busin. ss oomnianced last night Mr Y> ats introduced the subject, and it was decided tliu: a coinuiiftee eonfisting of Me**rs riutcVien. Yeats, and Black xvait on Mr Wakeman nnd ascertain from him the nature of his offer; and report to a public meeting to be called for the purpose.]

IIoBTIcrt.TURAL, Societies are fashion* I able everywhere now, and it is not ! right that Pahiatua should be in the i background in this respect. W’c do j not for a moment suppose that a soi ciety purely and simply horticultural I would answer, but it might not be amiss to follow the example of W’oodville, and form a society for the exhibition of all local productions. These societies are promoters of great good in a district, and is by their means that settlers are stimulated to excel j their neighbors in the production of j ffowers, vegetables, article - of trade, poultry, Ac., thus making a good name for themselves as well as the locality in which they reside. Most of our readers arc personally acquainted with the benefits which have followed the establishment of the Woodville Society, and seeing that there h- a good field here to work on, xve are confident that very great success would attend the formation of one in Pahiatua.