Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th., 1933. BOROUGH IMPROVEMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 January 1933, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th., 1933. BOROUGH IMPROVEMENTS

A DVERSE criticism of the Borough Council for omitting to do this or that, is not infrequent from impatient ratepayers, who say in their haste what they may repent in their leisure. Within a few weeks, annual rate-demands must be met, and this may re-open the floodgates of denunciatory eloquence, after which the tumult will die down until May gives the citizens another opportunity of electing their representatives. If rumour is true there will be keener competition for civic offices, and this must be all for the good of municipal affairs as hard-won honours inspire effort and enterprise. Meanwhile, attention of townsmen may be called to the review published in yesterday’s issue of the “Star,” of the street and other improvements accomplished during the past year. This summary forms the best answer to those who demand “Why doesn’t the Council do something?” Obviously the Council is doing something all the time, and in all parts of the Borough. For this, the Councillors and their staffs, and particularly the Borough Engineer, deserve community thanks. It is not disputed that Greymouth is a considerably improved town, to-day, compared with what it was, say, even five years ago, and the praise for this progress should be given to those to whom praise is due. Much remains,to be done, but as Cr. McGinley remarked, money and material are limited, and this checks construction and renovation. If the next five years witness similar progress, Greymouth will be, at last, more worthy of its superb natural setting.

Some of the new works would not have been possible without aid from the unemployment fund, and the question will be again raised, whether the policy of the Unemployment. Board, should not be changed to allow of greater assistance to local bodies, where public works are concerned. In the beginning, the Board was naturally hesitant about being generous in this direction, fearing that some districts might look to Ihe Board, for what should be done by themselves. However, now that the Board’s revenue is so enormous, and much of the work hitherto subsidised has been of a non-permanent character, it should be wise for assistance to local bodies to be less restricted. When those who an' paying the unemployment relief tax see in their own district something for the money, they become less critical.