The Patea Mail. Published Wednesday and saturdays WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 109, 26 April 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Published Wednesday and saturdays WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1876.

If anything were needed to remind tiie public that harbour improvements are required at tiie mouth of the Paten 'River, the fate that has overtaken a staunch little steamer like the Egmout should carry conviction. So much has been said and Avrilten on the subject, that avo cannot avoid repetition in some degree in alluding to it; but the occasion is such as to fully justify any offence of the kind, especially on the eve of Parliament being called together. It must he remembered that the Colonial, and not a Provincial Legislature, will deal with such questions in future, and that to the (General Assembly and not the Provincial Council of Taranaki must further appeal he made. That the accident Avhich has ended, or is likely to end, in the total loss of a valuable boat, Avill he magnified elsewhere—that it Avill be made an excuse for increased freights, for extra insurance, and fur putting the screw on importers generally—there can be no doubt ; and that consumers, as a matter ol course, will ultimately pay the piper, is an equal certainty. The wreck of the Egmout will bo held up as one of the “ frightful examples,” necessary sometimes in other than shipping causes, and the Fatea will he a tabooed river by many whose interest it will he to exaggerate its dangers. Eminnahny, wu have a member whoso iulhienaa in the (..aoim t should not he smad, ami vimse n- raomd knowledge of the a leah.iy, v,;; i: ad le

melts ami the v hole of its virtues, is great, to represent the district and its legiliinaie claim:;. Major Atkinson is fully informed on everything connected wit!i the Agmonr District, chief amongst V. liie'i we hoi! the 3!st\ igation ol tin' i'aiea, {liver to !•■• : and it is not asking ton much, iv'ither would it !>e any undue pressure on his pari, if lie urged the Kxecu i; v e lo lake such steps as are neeessa: V to carry out Mr Blackett's suggests ns, v. ■■ eonieiifd In that gentleman's in i■i e. on Lius subject. Tin-re is liil |e or no chance oi a railway running i,brouch IV.ea for years to come. It inny pA;n;e:d illusion lo 1 alley that such v.iil hg but the Ima.ds of those now wiih ;h- .’>• • I hit-rations, and admitting the 1 Gay :wra acceded tenders for a f.-w mne..- of line from Wanganui westward. liny have no funds at command for railway pnrposw;; and the financial condition of the Colony wili require money for some limn to come, rather than allow railway expense, unless for more populous communities than this. In the absence, then, of any railway communication at a. reasonably early dab 1 , ii is only fair that some expenditure In nld be made to afford the district the next best mode of interchange of goods and people, by rendering the port so secure and safe, that vessels of larger tonnage and greater draught can come in wit honk dinieuHy. Were this a. task of great magnitude, and were vast expense attached to its accomplishment, there might he good grounds for (he work being ilefemnl. At. it fori unab'ly happens, the very rev-' :•<: is ;l:e e.ise. Wo recently published lli<* report of the ICngineer-i - .!- {’■hief of 1 lie Colony, whoso opinion is eertaddy !<> he accepted wit lion;, demur, and ii was A the ell'eet that lor some :!;■! ,IKb’ or did,ooo a, vast improvement ei.u.ld !.•' effected in the cm ranee, but "•■"ld vender the pt rt available for V'S-ede <>l* roinpacaUveU b'Pi,!. Ida lea d: hi ml e- one of the h'-st :tad the r; i peinKiueidly progeesA ye in the i Thm v. mreh as the (Megohm; may vmwd id ;;es !ees, and tiie revenue nrapeu 11. !■,;• > of ine larger sum. The the disposal of the iVovincial JA ( cuilve, (hough whether really, or in name only, does me s. cm sufileieully clear. At s-’-y to ("»j;ipl‘-i;; harbour works was rnis'sl. an el xnu ly, as it was land wdlun Tie (d-dniei, such incorue should he demand in so important a work. That, hov.ever, 1 the {U'overhial pound of i. (Awn a. deg’s in mat, lias uo doubt A serbmi and digested, either by Ain thsim.-.d mi 1 nwAnAal (iovormneiits, 1 1 si. ■ ! i,g .;-e A A so it is not wortli while being reir..-peeiivc in calculating ways and in: mis .o cxecido what is wanted. There are, Asm wv, otln-r means at. command. hj irer > is land still unsold : there, are ra.- era s that will a fiord snhsianiia! sccariy for hoili interest and sink I;ig fund on such an outlay, whilst the increased commerce at the port, under -.neh favourably allured circumstances, would In probably increased several tunes over, if the people ol the ilitdriei, woidd take the subject up with the spirit that it deserves, and in which ii. should be entertained, there should bo no serious didiculty in making arrangements with the General (Avcmmeut. An part, of the Colony can give a more sniislenti".! bond lor works executed than I’at-a, ami it would ho owing to the blundering of its representatives, rather than other causes, did they fail to convince die Government of the fact. They can he satisfied as to the security. Ail that is wanted is a guarantee, an endorsement as it were, and if tins is got, ihe harbour works as proposed by Mr (jaiTuilmis can ho proceeded with at once. I' 1 or the sake of the whole corn nmnily, we. trust the subject rvill be taken up at once, and that decisive action, wili he taken on it.