THE MATAMATA HOT SPRINGS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5230, 17 July 1876, Page 3

THE MATAMATA HOT SPRINGS.

RErKRRiMi to the mineral spiings on the estate of Mr. J. (J. Filth at Alatamata the Watkato Tune-, says :— It may not be known to all that, on the Matauiata estate of Mr. .J. (J Filth, is to be found one of the most valuable hot sulphur spiings in the Noith Island ; far move so, indeed, in its constituents 1 than the famous Waiweia Spring-., near AJahuiangi, and in no way in ferior to those of Uotomahana itself. The poi tion ot the Matamata i uu on which these springs aie situated, is aomo twenty live miles dutant only fiom Cambridge, a mere day'b nde from any pait of Waikato. Now, under ordinal y circumstances, we should have urged upon the proprietor of so valuable a natuial piopeity as this the dusii ability of utilising it to the fullest possible extent in a connneieial point of view, did we not know th.it the owner was unlikely to l)e niiluenced by any such motive. Mr. Firth would piobably care little to take the matte 1 up as one of purely monetary speculation, but we have none the less faith that ho will do so on far higher and woithier qiounds, and that, too, in the same liberalheal ted manner in which in other matters lie has given time and money tor the advancement of the public interests of the people of this piovince. We think we may say th.it we know Mr. Firth too well to have any doubt whatevei, but, that once the mattei is fauly mooted, and the desnability of making this spot a rendezvous and a sanatoimm, not meiely for Waikato or Auckland, but for suflenng humanity geneially is fully made known to him, ho will be found the most anxious and zealous amougst us all in cai rying out the proposed object. The objection to the inland spnnga is their distance. The Waiweia Spungs, again, ai o moi e easily accessible than those ot ivotomahana, but, medicinally they aio — especially m cases of lheumatic affections, bkin diseases the lcsult or aftei affect of feveis, eiyaipelas, and other maladies— of less value than, and not to be compared with the Matamata springs. There ia too, both in the case ot the Waiwera and of the Lake country, the objection oi the soa voyage, perhaps, a rough one ; while, if Matamata bpinigs weie opened, they would bo reached dneet by lailway, steamei, and coach, via Hamilton and Cambridge, without any such diawbaek, cind be to the large population of Waikato immediately accessible. There are, we behe\o, already bathrooms erected over the spnngs, a eonsiderable volume of water, which can be used from almost boiling heat till quito tepid, and the public are at liberty to use them, a«, indeed, fcome have with most beneficial it suits ]5ut, it will be leadilj understood, that to become geueially known and used by the public, much moie is needed than the meie springs. An invalid availing himself of them now, would have to go and liteially c imp upon thegrouud, taking cooking utensils, bed, and possibly

food ot .ill kinds \\illi lam. .uul etcii in Miniini.1 this would be an niNiipu able bar to the use of the sunngs hy the majonty of those living in Waikato itself. It might he that. ou lepiesentation, Mr. Fnth would he induced to meet the lequnemuits of M&itois to some extent, 01 to giant to otheis the opportunity of doing so. These, howevei, a e matteis ot detail which we shall ii"t pienume to enter upon. We tcel quite snu, it we can only interest a few icpieotutativc men of Waikato so far as to induce them to confer with Mr. Fnth upon the matter, tli..t they will find themselves nu«t with a coidial and he.uty, and large Ik ai ted co operation on his part, and tint the people of Auckland will, m this matter, ha\o anothei and hy no means the least, added to the list of public benefits conferred upon them by one who has evei been as uadv in iiLogiiH ing the duties as he hai been notablj bucc o^m ful in the acquisition of wealth.