The Star. Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31. 1912. CO-OPERATION IN LOCAL UNKNOWN

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 31 January 1912, Page 4

The Star. Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31. 1912. CO-OPERATION IN LOCAL UNKNOWN

Humanly speaking, the prevailing spi:-it >.-i the age is the spirit of eo-operatLn. . c is not that this spirit is ;; ne.v tiung, -or proofs of its existence arc . miid in -tie remotest times and in . arts of vhe world; in \..-> fables of - ~>, in the antiquities of p. E^.-ot and in modern Zuiuland, where the natives .iave a^ word which is a proverb in it.<elf—Tburnbani; >t us work together. Co-operation is,"therefore, not a novelty in humr.ii affairs, but perhaps it is justifiabb to assume that at no past period in the world's history can. it nave beau as genereal as it is at the present time. And, like the revolution of the earth round the sun, still it movos, even here in our owu part of New Zealand; in proof of which we have heard of a proposal to form a society :ir association of municipal engineers :md the engineers of local bodies generally throughout South Taranaki,& or even further afield. It is pointed out that such a society would not only be of use to its members, but of service -•o local bodies themselves; for papers >n engineering and kindred subjects could be read and discussed at its meetings, at which the exchange of experiences and ideas would not only have an educational value for the members, but, through them, be of advantage to the local bodies of which, they we,re the responsible officers. A society su ich as this is surely not only desirable

necessary, and no -doubt local bodies tnemseives will, as far as they can, promote or at least favor its establishment. It would seem that just now the county councils and other local bodies in South Taranaki stand in special need ot such suggestions ,or assistance as such a body would be able to give them "in connection with streets and roads, the condition of which appears to call for co-operative consultation and Effort. In the matter of country roads, whereby one county has communication with another, and indeed also in the matter of streets in municipalities used' hv people of different cm,ntff s co lera tive P effort would W to be not "only the right thing, but the one thing necessary to the end in view—the anplication of more than ™-*>lv W?l Sr^t V + W. ldl Pe°ple °f many clitterent districts are interested; while !?ifc° mf ° those d^stricts it-is specially ciimcult- to obtain the material which S a ? dispenJable. to s^cessful roadmaking and maintenance. This subject is so important and so urgent that cooperative action in regard to it cannot be .taken too soon, and if the municipalities and county councils concerned were to arrange a conference of .their.mayors, chairmen, and engineers, no htt]e ultimate, if not immediate good, would probably come of it Some scheme under which all could work together in connection with streets and roads in which their constituents had a common interest might be evolved, more especially with respect to united or co-related methods m obtaining metal and in road formation and maintenance. Such a conference, in addition to its immediate purpose, would no doubt indirectly contribute to the establishment of a Society of Municipal and Local Government Engineers, and that society, when duly formed, would beyond doubt : help m consolidating and extending fjhe principle of co-operative effort initiated by the conference. There is satisfaction in teehng that, should the conference not come to pass, the engineers are practically certain to form an association favorable to the co-operative consultation and co-operative effort which seem to be much needed in connection with the making and maintenance of streets and roads in this part of the Dominion