WHANGAREI—WILL IT BE A CITY?

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1914, Page 11

WHANGAREI—WILL IT BE A CITY?

(To the Editor)

Sir, —The answer to this question depends on the men who are elected next November to fill positions on our local governing bodies. There are few indeed who have the courage to

mount a platform and to announce

publicly the faith that is in them. Our newly-elected mayor has done this and set an example. ""Will others folow? A public pedge is equal to an executed deed; it must be kept, while the man who gets into'office without a declaration of any kind can wobble about as fancy dictates. The Borough Council, County Council, and Harbour Board are the three bodies to which we must look for our answer, and on their faith in the capabilities of the ditsrict all will depeqfl. The town, with plenty of good water, a good drainage system, electric light, and well-formed streets— nearly all of which are under way : — will be all right to live in; but until county roads are, metal-covered the district cannot reach its full producing limit. Nor will the town grow except at a slow rate, for on the exertions of the man in the backblocks depends the rate of town expansion. The third partner, the. Harbour Board, has an equally responsible duty cast upon it in opening up its principal highway to the outer world, and if this is not done Whangarei- will aways be in the haitds of Auckand merchants and the Northern Steamship Company. As the fifth port in the Dominion—as shown by shipping returns^ —but little has been done to help nature, which has been very kind to it. It is true that the Board has expended all the revenue that is collected at the town wharf, principally on experimental works, which have only just proved what it ia possible to do and proved the need for a more comprehensive policy. Neither town nor country district can prosper as they should until the harbour is taken in hand.

The need, therefore, is that next November an effort should be made to secure the services of the best and most progressive men in the whole community to fill the position on each of these bodies; men with a broad conception of the, requirements of their district and initiative and courage to meet all difficulties. There is no reason why these meh could not meet periodically to discuss broad

lines of policy beneficial to the general ratepayer, and thereby gain his confidence : and support. The town and county have already learned the lesson that it is impossible to meet requirements out of revenue. The Harbour Board is only now realising its position. A conference such as is suggested could accurately gauge the extent to which it would be prudent to borrow in the case of each, and the most necessary works to be done in theThterest of the whole. The time has gone by for'tiependence. on Government grants in aid. —I am, etc., PROGRESS.'