Otane: A Visitor’s Lament

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 163, 26 June 1935, Page 6

Otane: A Visitor’s Lament

(To the Editor.) Sir, —During a recent visit to Oto no I was struck with The beautiful hills surrounding, but alas all glamour vanished when entrance to the village of so few attractions was made.

The recreation grounds with the dilapidated grandstand, although commanding a lovely view in the perspective was spoilt bv dead trees with broken guards in the foreground. Are there no sports conducted there? It looked to me as if the inhabitant* had deserted the place, and soon one might expect to see just four-legged creatures wandering in the park and streets. Then again the footpaths, with a little gravel dumped outside a few of the homes, as if the town board had run short of gravel. I am reminded of a southern paper’s remark, “They were metalling the road with the unemployed, a new way of using them.” Perhaps Otane could collect enough to gravel their footpaths properly. Is the village going back? Empty shops are in the majority. What are the farmers doing, who are supposed to be the backbone of the country? Become “jelly fish” and going to the sea towns for their supplies and passing their own village by? Lastly, I observe, the disgraceful way the Soldiers’ Memorial is kept. Dead flowers adorning it for weeks when fresh flowers should at least be placed weekly, 1 understand Otane boasts a Women’s Institute, whose motto is “For Home and Country.” What are they doing? Couldn’t they take a little time off from their other arduous duties and attend to it and place a few flowers to the memory of the brave boys who fought for them, even if it is just “Rosemary for Remembrance”? —Yours, sadly, A VISITOR. June 24, 1935.

Foolhardy Cyclists

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Last night I had occasion to drive into Hastings from an outlying country district and was astonished at and considerably worried by the number of bicycles without light* of any description which I encountered on the road. On a foggy night and with the lights of other cars approaching, these foolhardy cyclists not only run a grave risk themselves, but are a menace to all motor traffic on the road. A little consideration for others is a great thing in this wcwld, but it seems tiiere are some entirely lacking in any sense of fair play, and more drastic measures need be taken to impress upon them the fact that laws are made for the protection of the publie and therefore should not be broken lightly. —Yours, etc., __ MOTORIST. June 25, 1935.