King Country Chronicle Saturday, Nov, 19, 1910. TOPICS OF THE DAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 313, 19 November 1910, Page 5

King Country Chronicle Saturday, Nov, 19, 1910. TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The result of the poll for the borough loans on Thursday is satisfactory in every sense. By a majority of 141 to 3 votes the ratepayers have shown their confidence in the Mayor and Borough Council, and it now remains for the Council to actively pro ceed with the necessary preliminaries towards securing the loan, and afterwards to push on the various works during the dry season as far as possible. That this will be done is assured. The Council, the Mayor and the ratepayers are all to be congratulated upon the result of the poll, which will, in its ultimate effects, put Te Kuiti in the front rnak of model municipalities.

The Public Holidays Bill, now before the House of Representatives, embodies concentrated common-sense in a manner few public Bills successfully do. It provides for public holidays, which would otherwise fall on days other than Monday, to fall on Monday. We hope the Bill will pass. It makes holidays of some value to residents in towns, when the weekend can be added to them and a short trip indulged in. It only needs the generally Saturday half-holiday now, for the system of holidays to be wellnigh perfect. As was reported the other day in Sydney the Saturday half-holiday is giving absolute satisfaction, and if a great city of balf-a-million souls, with all its varied interests and complexities, can satisfactorily settle the holiday question, then it should not be difficult for the New Zealand legislature to reach some similar solution.

• —♦♦<•❖ The Public Works Statement, portions of which we publish in another qplumn, contains little that is specially startling or original. A large number of County road, and back-block road votes are proposed, and doubtless a considerable expenditure will take place in the King Country generally, as a result of the amounts being available. It is gratifying to know that a number of important County roads are to be allotted £ for £ on account of ths loans applied for, for metalling purposes. This will encourage the County authorities to press forward the various works they have in hand, and given reasonable opportunities, a large scheme of road metalling will be inaugurated in Waitomo County this year. Once we get the main roads in the County into useable condition, winter or summer, the effects in increased production of both sheep and milk will be readily felt. It is the common experience that there is no difficulty in rearing the stock, or producing the cream. The problem has lain, and still lies, in getting those products to market. The £ for £ subsidies, therefore, will come at a most opportune time to relieve the settlers and enable a double extent of road work to be undertaken.