THE HOT LAKES CHRONICLE AND Tourists' Journal. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1895.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 3, Issue 154, 13 November 1895, Page 2

THE HOT LAKES CHRONICLE AND Tourists' Journal. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1895.

Befohe the close of the session Mr W. Kelly, M.ILK., from his piece in the House, asked the Government whether an}- steps had been taken to carry out the recommendation of the Inspector of Hospitals on Rotorua and the thermal districts, and whether it was the intention of the Government to carry out the recommendations in the Inspector's report? Ho was induced to put this question in consequence of a paragraph in the Inspector's report. Mr Kelly read the paragraph in question, which appeared in a former issue of the Chronicle, and contended that the Government were to blame in not performing the works that were necessary for the benefit of the district. The bath accommodation was not sufficient, especially since the railway had bciii constructed to Rotorua, ami he trustad the Government would take the matter up and have something done before tho summer season set iu. The Minister of Lands said the matter was under consideration, and would be attended to, and that latei on he would be able to state what the Government would do in the matter.

The session, however, has now closed and we are as ignorant as ever in regard to what action tho Government intend to take in order to develop the resources of a locality which they admit is one of the most valuable assets of the Colony. The sums placed on tho Estimates for ex« penditure iu this district aggregate £3,350, but an analysis of the various items is far from reassuring. Of the total amount £1,200 is .scheduled for tho Oxford-Rotorua and TaurangaNapier roads, a considerable portion of which, we understand, lias already been expended. Another £-00 is set apart for the reopening of the Roto-rua-"\Vuiroa road. The balance amounting to £2,100 is apportioned as follows:—(1.) Rotorua Water Supply, £2OO. It will bo remembered that at the most moderate estimate the reticulation of the streets, on which sections have been leased on tho understanding that the Government should provide an efficient water supply, would cost £looo,'and yet only a fifth of the required sum has been granted, • As this is altogether inadequate for the purpose it is not probable that the conditions under which these sections were sold, viz., that they bo improved within one year from the date of the lease to the value of ten times the annual rental, will bo insisted on. It may be further re-

marked tliat it is idle to assume that under these circumstances the neces ■ sity which exists for supplying the new Sulphur or Postmaster Baths with water can receive attention. (2.) Works at Rotorua, £SOO. Judging from the work done since April last thi- sum must have been encroached upoii to the extent of about £3OO up tu the end of October, which leaves £2OO available for the rest of the year. (3.) Courthouse, £250. The whole of this amount has already been expended in the erection of a strong room of problematical strength but of a capacity sufficient for the storage of the whole archives of the Colony. (4.) Itotorua "Wharf, £!SO. This amount was placed on the Estimates only after persistent application by the Town Board. A work of equal importance, however, viz., the * construction of a carriage drive to the summit of Ngongotnha lias apparently been lost sight, of. (5.) Bath Accommodation, £IOOO. This would appear to be a very satisfactory item were it not for the fact that a similar sum lias appeared on the estimates for the past throe years but has never yet been made available. At one timo it was fondly hoped that this sum would be expended on a ladies' swimming bath, or the erection of a public hall, indeed, as far as the hitter scheme is concerned, we understand, the Premier made some promise about it when here in December lust. Nothing more however lias been heard of the mutter till the item pops up serenely in this year's estimates to raise the rancour of jealous communities who point to the figures and accuse the Government of running one Sanatorium against another. It will be seen by the foregoing analysis that out of a total of £3,350 there will only be available for expenditure on the baths and town proper a sum of £350 during the currency of the present financial year. From which many things may be demonstrated Tin". Te Aroha News in one of its Baconian " Cogitations" deplores tho fact that some of its contemporaries doubt the preeminence of its position amongst tho health resorts of Australasia and as far as Itotorua is concerned quotes our own figures against us to show that we are hopelessly in the rear. In parallel columns the News publishes the Rotorua and Te Aroha bath returns and triumphantly shows that while accommodating 1107 fewer bathers the Te Aroha revenue amounts to £G 17s (id more ; and even this does not comprise all the income, for the sum of £25 )7s Kid lias been received (luring the last six months for the hire of towels. A sum equal to about a sixth of the entire revenue derived from towels; verily an intolerable amount of sack (or sacking) to so small a quantity of bread. But the News is hardly just, when it quotes us as saying that we have reason for solf-gratuhition on the condition disclosed by our figures. We congratulated ourselves on the fact that the figures showed an increase of nearly 2,500 bathers ami ovl-i £SO in money in excess of the six winter months of tho previous year. We made no allusion to Te Aroha in the course of the article referred to, but seeing that the N"ews wishes to draw a comparison between the two places we are curious to know if tho place the Guide Book recently published terms "the Sanatorium par excellence of the Southern Hemisphere," can show a similar advance over previous years 'i We would also like to know from what source our contemporary derives his figures when ho states that £5,000 of public money is spent annually in maintaining the Sanatorium. The' News disclaims envying Itotorua the success attained but it seems to do so all the same.. This is, however, perhaps- natural when we take into consideration that its closer proximity to town and its easiness of access to the Thames district simply means £(i 17s (id in advance of Rotorua to say nothing of "the revenue derived from the hire of towels." We would ask the News to ponder over these matters when immersed in the cogibundity of future "Cogitations."