PASSING FANCIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 24 January 1907, Page 2

PASSING FANCIES.

(By 'Tliiz"). <#, One notices frequently that New Plymouth is a staid old'place. "In the race of progress slnTis slow. In the provision of facilities she is back ward. One notices for a start that, despite heavy rating and a long history, asphalt is almost unknown except in Devon street. One notices, too, that in days gone by several of the other streets have had a coaling of tar and sand, and -here still romain traces. OntS notices little patches of asphalt on the lOv'ioi street footbath, but evidently i he municipal authorities favor clay, mud, and a scant supply of screening. One notices, too, that the Liardet street footpath, asphalted a little while ago in order to give Kccrealion Grounds' visiibTs the, mistaken idea that our street scheme was up-to date, has been allowed to fall into disrepair.

One notices tJiat the health antliorities, having condemned tile oldVfashloneU cobblestone gutters as insanitary, the new side-channels in the town have some pretensions to modern design: nnd one notices, also, that Iroin some of the old gutters the warm wealthier raises not too pleasant re', collections of the liquids that, have passed along in the years gone by. One notices that there is a big plnc-m-d on most railway stations, "Smoking strictly prohibited." Occasionally one'notices attempts made to en force the admonition—occasionally. One~notices a_good dual of warm language i„ ordinary conversation amongst the young folks in Ue hlreets, an.i this regrettable evil is on the increase.

<me notices ii very general opinion i that },ew Plymouth lias u good reputation for sobriety. Publicans and police alike seem interested in keep ing the population sober. line notices, occasionally, a passen(.'or board a" tram at a Hag station. . One notices the guard gi ve a ticket Irom his book. tine notices the money tendered, perhaps not Ihe exact n mount. Oho hoars the guard pro niisc to give tile change at the n >xl eta Hon. One often notices the pas-i-engor get out without thinking 0 f H - -Motto: Hive the eorrcet fan-. One notices a good many volunt/.'er.; pvrutting about town in uniform during the evenings, whilst their comrades are undergoing tuition at the camp and doing the work they under lake 10 do. And one notices that the iis'siduous volunteers get the first promotion. One notices that Home of the local volunteer uniforms were designed on a bourttcous scale, and leave any amount of room for the citizen soldier to jitill' himself out in his military importances . due notices ihat the .Maoris in this district are not so orderly and well behaved since the removal of their popular and successful mentor, ltov K A. Bennett.

One notices that one or two of 'the irw arrivals in .New Plymouth are endeavoring to infuse a little life into | some of the fossilised institutions of the town. And one notices with regret that the Tradomeu's Association is waiting for someone of this calibre, to shake it into being. Time was • when the .New Plymouth Tradesmen's Association was a power in the town. One notice that the grocers' pricecutting competition has com.; to an end, as it should do. No longer will they be content to handle sugar at a loss, or to do any of tliooc) tilings which have cost the grocers so much in Ihe past. One notices, too, that New Plymouth is a very cheap place to live in. Not only do drapers anjl| ouUittelrs sell thier goods at rates far cheaper than any other town along the line, 'but gi'ocoines and I'oodslulls oflj 111

limny cases 30 per cent cheaper than in places similarly situated. due notice a growing disinclination to tackle public life in .New Plvmouth. Why, it is hard to say, but the fact remains. It is even rumored that the me.Vo bc|iough council w,ill not have more than three of the present members—perhaps less.