CIVIC DRY ROT.

Matamata Record, Volume XI, Issue 933, 2 July 1928, Page 4

CIVIC DRY ROT.

POINTING out-failings is a gloomy, thankless, altogether uninviting duty, but it must not be shirked on that or any other account. The great outstanding weakness in and - around Matamata just now is the failure of the residents to take an active interest in public affairs, especially in bodies of a non-elective character, such as the A. and P. Association, the Farmers’ Union and the Chamber of Commerce.

Despite strenuous efforts, the annual meeting l of the / Matamata branch of the Farmers’ Union was not nearly so well attended as the officers might reasonably have expected. i The Chamber of Commerce annual meeting could just muster a quorum. The A. and P. Association abandoned Its show this year through nothing else than the neglect of the people to display helpful interest; in fact, the main subject for discussion on Wednesday night, when the annual meeting takes place, may be the question of whether or not the association should remain in existence.

Reading the above, a stranger would come to the conclusion that we are —to use amusing but effective war-time slang terms —a dopey lot, a pack of duds without enough kick in us to do anything beyond impotently spluttering out of existence. Public spirit is at a low’ ebb. Chairmen, presidents, secretaries and other officials, once appointed, find the utmost difficulty in getting relieved of office after they have served a fair term, hone others being willing to .take, a Share' of the work, the result being that men. who might be otherwise Willing to take a turn will not do so for fear of being loaded with a lifetime job.

It is all very deplorable and discreditable, and not the way of progress. Asked why they do not attend some of the meetings, members will reply that they do not see what good their own organisation is doing or can do, or that they object to the personnel. To the obvious rejoinder that if the organisation is not doing effective work it is time the said members rolled up and lent a hand, and that the personnel cannot well be changed if only the same old workers attend, the _ objectors become rather dumb —which gets us no further. It is, however, salutary to drive home the point that a local society of any sort is, other things being equal, just as effective or impotent as the members make it by their attendance and active participation, fecundity of ideas, or their absence and barrenness of anything but useless bewailings.

ings. ■ ; 1 Good citizenship sits well upon any man’s brow, but unless there is a quick general awakening not many Matamata folks will wear the civic halo before their time • comes to be resplendent in a less terrestrial setting.