IN A STATE TOU MR. D. M'LAREN AT ROTORUA. A COMPARISON,

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19, 24 January 1911, Page 8

MR. D. M'LAREN AT ROTORUA. A COMPARISON, Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P., who has just returned from Rotorua, gave some interesting impressions to a Post "reporter yesterday. "During my absence," he said, '-I put in a fortnight at Rotorua, about ten days in Auckland, and also visited Patea. I was very much interested in the phenomenal development of. Rotorua, for 1 had not been there for about fifteen years. The growth of the town is, 111 my opinion, a demonstration that a wise policy was pursued in making it, at least for a time, a State township. It is referred to properly as the town without rates, and is a standing example of the wisdom of the land nationalises' ; policy. The town is kept going through ■ the rents of the land, which is the property of the State. State control has '. resulted in the creation of a township of wide thoroughfares decked with foliage : and beautiful streets. Under private " control of the land, we might ha-ve had what we see in many other towns throughout New Zealand, the packing of certain areas densely with houses, and leaving no room for wide streets. I think that the Hon. G. Fowlds, in speaking on his return to Auckland, ! voiced the truth when he said that ; what is urgently needed in this country '■ is a general policy of town planning. In : tne case of Rotorua, it can be still fur- ' ther extended. A great deal has yet to ' be done in the matter of lighting, and in the formation of streets and footpaths, whilst in the summer time,, the scoria, of which the streets are mostly formed, provides plenty of dust." Mr. M'Laren doubted the wisdom of spending something like £35,000 oru the new bathhouses owing to their proximity to the mud flats, as he could not feel sure of the security of the foundations. It would have been better if more money , had been spent on the other bathhouses. He did not think visitors , looked so much to find spas, but would > prefer decent accommodation, which is . well provided at Rotorua at present. He had read a number of comments that . the Government might well spend a few pounds in marking off by tablets or boards the various geysers, mud holes, '. and springs. ; Like the Mayor (Mr. Wilford) ho found there was a good deal of complaint existing with respect to the administration of matters relating to fishing. In conversation with some of the educated Maoris at Ohinemutu, Mr. M'Laren learned that they also had strong complaints on the ground that the Government was netting fish, while their statement was that they were not allowed to net and sell the trout they caught. The visitors regretted that the Maori houses at Ohinemutu had been Europeanised and so much of the pakeha manner of living taken on. From the example of the large carved house at Ohinemutu, it was clear that the whares might have been greatly improved, and the essential native character have been preserved, which would have been better for the natives and a greater attraction to visitors. From a conversation with Mr. Birks he learnt of the extensions which were being made to provide additional lighting for the town, and other works of utility. It was an indication that much progress had yet to be expected, but a feeling existed in many quarters that the time must come soon when Rotorua would be placed under the control of a Borough Council, and he thought that, with the growth of the town, it was desirable to provide that the lands of this State town should be still retained as a public property. "As a contrast of policies," added Mr. M'Laren, "I may say that I visited another township, which I found had been under the control of the agriculturalist Conservative interest, and there, although it was richly endowed with lands of its own, a policy had been pursued for many years of leasing town plots at the merely nominal rentals of 9d and Is per acre for long periods of time. This- policy has only been broken into by one Labour man getting on to the borough council and making an attack on this vicious system of practically confiscating the rent that should belong to the whole community."

Wellington citizens- do not appear to be fully alive to the important change in the municipal franchise. For the coming mayoral and council elections, to be held in April, every adult resident of Wellington over a time not less than three months has a right to vote. But he must first enrol. The process is simple. Anyone who wishes to vote, and has not his name on the roll, should communicate with the Town Clerk (Mr. J. H. Palmer), or, bettor still, call in at the Town Hall and secure the necessary iorms at the office. These may be quickly filled in and witnessed by a burgess already on the roll. There is one party in Wellington wideawake to the opportunities afforded by the new franchise, and that is the Labour Party, xi regular visitor to fhe Town Hall can see this quite easily. In view of this fact, it is not improbable that the next election will be productive of surprising changes. Rotorua, sa,ys the local Times, simply •'reeks with the pernicious habit of tipping." ]n an editorial on the subject the Times states : — "Visitors to Rotorua, thoee from within the Dominion and Australia in particular, are very strong in their condemnation of the mercenary spitii that exists in this town. The causes of this most undesirable trait are not. far to eeekj there ie not the slignt- ; eet doubt that it is directly traceable to the pernicious system oi tipping. Unfortunately, wea-ltny visitors nave not left their bad habits behind them, and probably without thought and quite as a matter of course have introauced the custom into this country, and, still moro j unfoitunately, into this town in particular. Not long since, this tipping was confined almost entirely to the Maoris, and. perhaps, here and there, to some of the attendants at the hotels and boardinghouses recognition of some special service rendered, and was then only j given by — and not always expected from — niore or less wealthy tourists from abroad. From this the pernicious habit has spread, until to-day the place simply reeks with it. It is this spirit that causes the Maoris to bail people up and demand money for crossing their lands ; that makes every employee in a boardinghouse who hae ever spoken to a guestlook for a tip when the guest departs ; that makes the Maori children call for money to dive for in the streams — white chikh-ev follow their example when they get ti: chance in the swimming baths ; and iinldren expect remuneration for running the simplest message. We need not point out the demoralising effect this sort of thing has on. the character of the rising generation and the utter lack of necessity there is for it. So far as the boardinghouse assistants aie concerned, they are paid good wag«, iixed by award, and are altogether in different case to their under-paid brothers and sisters in the Old World. It seems to us tha-t this mercenary habit should be fought down in every possible manner. Parents should forbid their children accepting money lor felight services to stranger.', and we hope the teacheis will use their influence in the schools to combat this great and growing evil."