PATEA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8269, 14 October 1915, Page 2

PATEA.

A PROGRESSIVE TARANAKI TOWN. N A former resident or Canterbury, who recently settled in Patea, senus the following interesting imnin of information to a friend m Asnburton. With tho object of showing what is bomg donq in other communities, publicity is given to the letter:— 1 have been here over four months, and, oh the average, we have had rain every other day. i never saw such a place for grass. Wo havo camelias and azaleas 15 feet high growing in the oilice garden. As for vegetables, we aro in fuil suuplies of everything. To me it is a very delightful change. The green appearanco of the country is a pleasant change alter tho sandhills around my former place of residence. Of course, 1 miss "many genial I faces, but it is surprising the number ! jof ex-Canterbury people one meets. The way these small places strike one is this: Patea is; a small but won-, dorfully progressive town, with a population oi about 1000. Tho Town Hall cost £6000. Tli'ere is no building in Ashburtpu anything like it. Electric light for household and street purposes has been installed for 10' years. Patea is now spending about £20,000 on a high-pressure water scheme and underground drainage. TKero are miles of ■' asphalt footpaths. The Harbour Board j has let a contract for £86,000 to improve tho harbour. And yet everyone m the town is growling because they consider the place is not as progressive as it might be. The day of closer settlement is being j gradually reached here. It is quite common to find men making a good living on 50 acres, but unfortunately the natives are drawing the rentals of a good many farms' and the larger farms held by the pa-kcha are let- out in blocks of 100 acres from £2 to £3 'per acre. However^ provided you ! strike a good grass farm that has not , beon eaten out, it pays, and at tho < present war rates for butter a.nd j cheese it is extremely profitable; but, j 'of course, those rates won't last. I am taking steps with the object of improving the library and tho do-1 main. An effort is being made to induce the Borough Council to lot us fun the library in the' Town Hall buildings, but the council'"is so very eo-m-J fortablo thati it docs, n:pt caro to be disturbed. Can, you give mo any hints s about a library -Wo have;so subscribers at ten shillings each. Where can we obtain a supply of cheap books about two to three years old? The books they have in stock were printed by Luther, I think, in Germany; and as we are ousting everything German, the Patea, library has J to go.