A Trip to Napier.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume II, Issue 132, 6 April 1894, Page 2

A Trip to Napier.

Notes Social ... d Political.

(ilr G. if. K*'ipkh.i The hill 0.1 » ' . Lie town fc *r stands was nii".;] i ral idl the presence of wn ding th.^ooean cunvul and ere a • i«-poeit, caused the gr< t* basm to the south to practically fib up •* i I form the mainland. An obstru • turn in any current produces a deposit or islaud behind by tilling up til# weather side. The expenditure incurred upon harbor works will produce rosu’.ts the reverse of what is intended. As tho breakwater ex tends the operation* of nature will be facilitated iu forming land where it is n. vr proposed an artificial bay or harbor should be made. This pro ss is now going on. The breakwater is of good material and well constructed. Napier is said to be n dry and health\ place for tile aged and astlmiatieal. Til does not seem likely. The climate tuav be dry, bat the swamps to the uorthwe»; and southwest render it far from healths. Its churches, place* of entertainment, and public buildings are very creditable, but the pale complexions of the pen convince use that Napier would be W place for Mrs KiiDpi. The pleasure grounds «rc numerous and well looked i after. The Botanical Gardens on the j hilt end its aged manager are a credit i Napier. Jn spite of formidable natural I difficulties it has been converted into “ a , thing of beauty, a joy for eve. ‘ Near it is the cemetery, well furnished with costly tombstones and monuments coven d vith tneriplions, amusing and instructive. Not far oil stand a number of apparently large wool sheds. These 1 found to be the Refuges for tho nged poor. v ,e of tn* old men were out Hide. end 1 >; into cou versation with thorn. in v wanted matches and tobacco. Their L indt and faces were clean, but their clot ies were ragged and dirty. Some of th iu pro fessad to have seen better days all of them had doubtless experience 1 ups sk downs—but here they were virtually tho dead house at last, w ith their tin J ) This is of course an econo in Dal arrau;

tuetU. though not a very cheerful prospr I went through some of the building.-, found no obi familiar faces. All w strangers, and most seemed premature old and decrepid. Tho barracks were clean, neat and gaol-like—m ostly small single bedrooms, though a few had i: > beds. The bedding was neatly rolled up. Stone of tho inmates stood outside. Tlc-v asked for the inevitable matches and tobacco, ami FOtne of them wanted **i. bob or two." 1 noticed some old ladies strolling about, but did not speak to them or inspect their barracks. The latter pr. sent ;i gloomy, cheerless appeal an < being painted with hematite, and gather tiio old people and their sorry t. t ings look anything but happy. The tution, 1 was told, is supported chu-tlv • voluntary contribution assisted by m State. Now’, tho question occurred to me : - Are not these old people entil!< d t • a pension as much as old soldiers ? Ha\o they not given their health and strength for providing necessities for tho soldiers at tiie frout and the helpless families left behind ? It is useless lo say that povert y is the result of id lencsa. improvidence, or drunkenness. Most of those I saw *p poured to be old busiunen, with whose experiences lam familiar. Their lot • hard one. Spoken to and treated liku dogs, away from rational amusements, is it surprising that when they gather a small cheque they knock it dow n with their mates in the nearest public house bartering their hard earning* for :* tr«, meat of transient poisoned bliss! 7 * when the buslunan, awakening, is told "v the kind publican what he has done f him : how he has saved him from this an.l that aud taken his part against bull 1, and then, w.'iit in* i tone r he been t ho is advised to got sober. Finally, to

crown all, tho bushtnun is stalled oil with a bottle in his pocket, a few hliillings, some tobacco, and his i utoi tainer s hie*, ing and good advice, is the bewildered one to he blamed if hs regards his host as a good Samaritan, whoso acquaintance he will mako again when tho next cheque has to bo dissipated ? I have seen tin* iu actual life, tan we wonder ? Are not such iuoq to bo pitied rather thou condemned ? Are not their contemplations irresistible ? Who is to blame for tin n poverty at last? Surely not ths poor \ iei .hi beoe tee l moral rap

| impregnable ! With perhaps a few A ■ captions the men iu the Refuge are ntojp and doubtless willing to do I their maintenance. If suitable work wore provided, they would be removed above tho wages of charity, and at their j own cost they might secure such accustomed luxuries ns tobacco and a daily i glass of beer. I'he cost would rob nobody, the old people would be cheered and en- | cou raged, and they would feel comfortable 1 in clean clothes earned by themselves. ! C hristianity makes re-pert and provision lor old age a duty ; while here, these poor old souls are put into a building that resembles a prison and subjected toeondij i ions that, if not inhuman, are humiliating. These men have given their all to the i colony. Our merchant princes and l o o I landowners have done no more. May they have done less, for are they not using theii health to deprive ths poor o r the homes which they should enjoy ox. , the land. What else has monopoly done hut kept a large portion of the masses m poverty ?

T was informed that a company or sy| dicate is prepared to purchase hum »f,e Government a considerable portion of the formidable swaiup to which f ha\<* referred for the purpose of draining and reclaiming it. This proves its \alue as a labor field. Tho swamp should be reserved for those in want of employment witli the object, after it is improved, of enabling them to settle upon it. All the cost would return to the State, the country would bo improved and settlement extended.

A feature of the Ilawke s Bay province is the largo extent of tine land supporting sheep and cattle, but unpopulated. The few occupiers have mostly palatial homesteads. but they lire about a day's journey fron: each other, and they give employment to only a few hands—scarcely one man to a thousand acres. How many families would not this land mainta d n comfort! Ido not blame the owners of those vast areas. Most of them deserve all thev benefit. I hey braved dangers and hardships in the pioneering da\*. But the times and conditions La\o hii< n-d and are changing, and these lands must be turned to u better use. They mu-t bo

employed for the benefit of the landit-h, who through the State are prepared to compensate lile owners and with the .u of their health and strength to com-if these pastures into smiling hom< pros peroux villages and large tow’ns. 1 nese transformation* I have constantly wit nessed during a colonial experience ..f half a century. The small and insignificant have grown to be giant*. We are but the creatures of circum*tanees over which we have no great control, but orly dirwoted etlort mak<-s every human ioua an architect and builder.