The Hawera Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1929. LOAN POLL CARRIED.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 6 September 1929, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1929. LOAN POLL CARRIED.

Delivered every evening by 6 o’clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltliam,’ Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Wliakamara, Ohangai, Meremere. Fraser Road and Ararata.

The •overwhelming .majority by which the South Taranaki Power Board ’» loan proposal was carried yesterday is gratifying for 'many reasons, but there are I two at - outstanding importance. The I first is, of course, that the ratepayers have demonstrated very vigorously that they desire to see the' district participate in the benefits of hydro-electricity made available to them by the State’si policy of generation and distribution of energy on a national scale. Such benefits .could not Grave been secured had the community been unprepared to shoulder its responsibilities. But the voice of the ratepayers as 'heard through the ballot box hats left .no room for suggestions that South Taranaki: has less vision than other power board areas or that it is not endowed with a truly progressive spirit. The suggestion was freely made to the ratepayers that .they should “play for safety” by allowing the company to carry on the responsibility of serving at least, a part of the area, but the ratepayers have perceived fcbat, while the responsibilities i are light, the rewards are heavy and jthey have accordingly ignored the ad<vice so temptingly offered. The granting of their sanction to a loan did not, certainly, call for such courage and such faith in the future of the area to be served as have loan proposals for power purposes elsewhere, for South Taranaki was in the enviable position of being able to take over a going concern, at a fixed price and assured of a minimum revenue, whereas other districts have had to launch out into the unknown, with no local experience to guide them, jit. was cpiite conceivable by some, liowi ever, that the very fact .that a large portion of the area had had twentyseven years’ experience of supply by a private company might make it difficult for a fairly substantial number of voters to see the unwisdom of letting pass this opportunity to acquire the i company’s undertaking for themselves. Those who held that view must have ‘believed that an apathetic attitude, a 'narrow view and a. strong self-interest would be allowed to cloud tire issue in the minds of those rate payers. Happily the result off the poll has dispelled those delusions. The ratepayers in the borough of Hawera who have enjoyed the advantages of electricity, voted as solidly for the proposal a® those country districts which were anxious to sei cure supply. And this brings us to lour second reason for gratification. Un- | fortunately the town versus country isjsue was raised in the course of the I protracted controversy which preceded the poll. There is no need for us to sav more than we have 'already said on that phase of the subject, but we do endorse the sentiments expressed elsewhere in this issue to-day by the chairman of the board, who regards the comjbining of the town and country votingi on this important rating question as a cementing of the ties which should bind .the interests of both sections. Hawera should be the last town in New Zealand to forget how much it is dependent upon the country. As our correspondent “H.J.8.” said in the course of his interesting letter published last Tuesday, there may bo excuse for a city, with its multifarious interests, believing that it is entirely self-contain-ed, but there can be no such excuses for Hawera. This town exists by reason of the fact that it is the trading centre of a rural area which produces great wealth from'the land. “1L.T.8. ” lias | shown in .print, as other country people 1 have shown in other ways, that the

rural resident has 'a sentimental, in addition to a trading interest in Hawera—and Ha.wera has demonstrated by

its voting yesterday that it is fully cognisant of the fact, that if it is to grow in status and prosperity it can only do so side by side with the 'growth of the Southern portion of the province. Our final word is reserved for the members of the Power Board. They had a good ease and they presented it well before the public. They have convinced the public that, given cautions administration, the board’s scheme must prove all and more than has been claimed for it It is for the board as a body to see .that a. long view of what is best, in the into erst s of the whole of hlie district becomes a. traditional part, of its policy. For our part wo believe that public ownership of a utility of a potential valno which is as yet only half revealed has been inaugurated under the happiest cireum stances, justifying the fullest confidence in the future.