CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8158, 17 July 1906, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

CRYING " STINKING FISH." TO IHB EDITOE. Sib, —Every community ihas its Jeremiahs. Also every community breeds and rears the "genus homo" who seeks delight in crying " stinking fish " of the place out of which he is earning his crust, of its prospects and institutions. As time goes on, may be, this samo gentleman, prospering amid his uncongenial surroundings, and particularly by the unearned increment, seeks other pastures, there to] enjoy the fruits of his work—and the "increment." Taranaki has turned out many of this stamp of individual in the past. There is a good batch of them, for instance, in Auckland, For some months they have had a very fair innings oyer the Taranaki oil business, pouring poison into the ears of any who may have turned to them for information concerning the developments and prospects of the oilfields. And these lugubrious individuals have found willing lieutenants in other itinerant Taranaki-ites ffith interests and stakos in the places they omdemn, and whose people they in effect pourtray as so many freebooters. Hence the promoters or the oil companies are finding that scepticism and absolute distrust are rampant in the north concerning the oil prospects of New Plymouth and district, and to convince investors that their propositions are not huge swindles is not the easiest of tasks. I hold no brief for any of the companies in process of formation hereabouts. True, I want to see all of them successfully floated, the district exploited thoroughly, and the oilfield given a testing it has never had before. And, in passing, I might say that tho greatest pessimist is forced to admit that oil exists in and around New Plymouth. He must do that, unpleasant as it may be, because to refuse to do so would be to disbelieve his own eyesight. Only exploiting and testing can determine the extent of the quantity—whether the field is permanent or otherwise. The people who put money into the companies know that they are investing in a speculation, out of which they stand to lose or make a profit. They go into the whole affair with their eyes open. I, however, protest, and protest with all my lung power, at the scandalous manner in which many of the Taranaki people, and particularly the ex-Taranaki-ites of Auckland, condemn, belittle, and lie about the oil prospects hereabouts in their endeavor to hamper the establishment of an industry, the potentialities of which are so great, in respect of not Taranaki alone, but of the whole colony. Tho " stinking fish " brigade does more harm to Taranaki than everything else put together, and the sooner the members thereof are put in their proper places the better it will bo for tho futuro welfare of this part of tho colony.—l am, etc., Cms.

THE WATERWORKS TUNNEL. TO THE EMTOH. Sin,—lt would bo interesting for the public to know when the Council is going to make an effort to locate or stop the leakage from the waterworks tunnel. Or is it going to allow it to continue, irrespective of any damage it may be causing by scouring the ground from the back of the concrete in its course, for some considerable distance p There is no telling what the cost will be if the Council fail to remedy the defect. I am certain that less than the amount of money already spent would have been sufficient to repair the defect, and to have made it perfectly secure, if it had been taken in hand by practical men immediately after tho loak showed itself,—lm, etc., ISTEHESTED.