The Wanganui herald. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1805.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12759, 12 January 1905, Page 4

The Wanganui herald. THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1805.

» LOCAL "REQUIREMENTS. Wlhile we do not believe in the woiuirtry 'districts being starfvecl for roads and other cowvenienjees in order tliat towns and cities may be provided with ornamental jhdljlSc buildings, we hold that it is essential that such accommodation as is necessary for tlie -proper carrying oil of the colony's business should be afforded. For many years the ptifices in New Plymioiuth in wliicih the post anxl teleg-faph stafis have had to labour hlave b'-en totally ims^i table, despite expedients ' that had to be resorted; to ; they are too ' small fojr the workers and decidedly inconiv^nient /or the public As a majßter; of fact, no other .town of „ size has &ucSi totally inddeguate

provision for the carrying on of two of the most important branches ol the public service, and it speaks volumes .lor the Chief Postmaster arid his staff that they have been able to <k> so well uiwler the circumstances. . A vote for a new post office was authorised some years ago, , bait the question of a site proved a scumbling bl'OiolKf, One ! 'bfeldn I g4ng. tfc> . the Borough Coiuucil was available, but the price plated upon it was deemed too 'high by the Department. Failing to sedure a site at what it wo'ukl consider a reasonable figure, the Government now, intend to erect the new btoillding in front of the present one, anjd al- j thojugh this position is not, per-'j haps, quite so central as one could wish, it is not at all a baid one. Sir Joseph Ward, interviewed yes-. ; terjday, promised a Tlepiutation headed by the Mayor that the' work of building the new office would be put in hand almost im- , mediately, ami this news is very ! gratifying. We will also be able : to have o;ur town clqcjk, ••'! money for which was collected j some years ago, but whi'ctb, was not pjrosjifred, because there was no. ■proper place to put it. The der putation yesterday had other matters besides that of the new post office to bring before the ' Minister, but in regard to these they did not get any definite promise. One of the most important— in fact, the most important}— was that of the deviation of the railway Jirom its present position along. Deivlonr: street to one by way of tjhe sea. shore ■to the Ilenlui. There are mairy gootf reasons why this worjk should be carried • out, not the least being the 'danger that m/ust always exist ■ while trains run through the centre of- the town. Fortunately, mishaps have been rare, arid the Department ta!kes considerable precautions, but the liability to accident still remains. Further, as we have before pointed out, if the deviation were made, the saving to the. Department in the matter of haulage arid in other ways would be great. Arid, as Mr Cook .pointed port to • the Minister of Railways, the .valuable land which the line traverses as far as the Henui woiuld sell readily at big: prices, recouping in a degree the ciost of the deviation. The Boiiough Cpuncil is, we uauderstaiafd, ,' prepared to give, approximately, to wands the cost of th© alteration, for it is alive to the f adt that .; something must be done t ; 6 p^reVent the erosion by the sea alq-ngi fWool-eom'be Terrace, the roUteof the, proposed deviation, arid this could be easily accomplisheid, were the Department to undertake the work suggested: Cdtnjpetent engineers are of opinion that a sea wall, whidb. also, by the way, be utilised for the making of an esiplafliade," is. the: only method of coping sjujocessfully wit(h the erosion., A^part from the qjues^tion of making the town ■ mofre attraictive; which it undoubtedly, would, the undertaking' is one of necessity, for th 6 loss by the encroachment of the: sea has been considerable, and continjues. Another matter -"brought ;v. for\vard b} r tihe dep<utation Avas the ptoposal to give access to the g;oo,dsshed by way of Brofug'h'a'm-streei, in orlder to redji^pe tihe , heaVy; trafffic on Dev'pn-street. /A g;oad case was madie" ooutt t and altliSolugh Sir Joseph Ward's repl^- was rioncom«niit:taL we think it likely tlrat he will do something. He certaiaily said that other townis sirffered unid&rS dis'a'dVantagtes ': simlUiar to those being experienced ■ here, but i we do not believe that any case that could be mentioned . is qjuite so serious. Wo thpixMiglily appreciate the difficulties xtnider whic!h the 'Minister suffers throlugih laxsk of JBumids, ari4 give him. ciredit. 'for an eariies't desire . to do ■ all in his power to make the Department of; whibh he is so able a' head as 'up-toVdate as possible. ?He hag done admirably, arid, reobgmising < " that fact, we would not aJdJclv tohis difli'cralties by imjpof tuning him to exjpend money on a wor,k that was lidt necessary.^ i But the deviation of the*; line is, we think, necessary,' ant] we do not believe that the Department womM be 4 loser if it carried out the wonk. — . „ •' ». • . .