The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1894. OUR ADVENT.

Opunake Times, 3 July 1894, Page 2

The Opunake Times. TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1894. OUR ADVENT.

We present our readers to-day with the first issue of The Opunake Times, and do so in the belief that such an organ, devoted to the interests of the district, was very much required. Opunake being the centre and outlet, by reason of its port, of one of the finest agricultural and pastoral districts in the colony, extending to Ma'naia on the one side and Stony River on the other, and embracing all the bush country to the Forest Reserve, has, in our opinion, a bright future in store for it. In order to attain its goal, it needs its wants and requirements persistently urged and advocated. In the past the district, through being situated at the extreme ends of two counties, has been, we may say, the centre of neglect, and roads leading to it, for miles on either side, are a disgrace to any civilised country. The railway has been advocated as the outlet for the eastern portion, and every effort has been used to- induce traffic in that direction by local bodies’ expenditure, whilst the roads leading to this port have been neglected, and traffic, by means of execrable roads, cut off. On the other side, the same state of affairs prevailed, forcing the traffic northwards towards New Plymouth. The result is that this district has been kept years behind, when other parts, less favourably situated, have- been making lapid strides in the van of progress. The settlement of native lands has also been a great stumbling block in the path of advancement, but under the proposals of the present Government this promises to be remedied in the near future. When all the fine land in the district, which is at present standing bush is placed under settlement, a very great change will be observed, and everyone will be benefitted. It has proved itself a splendid dairying district, and there are no other of utilising land sormuch can be obtained from it; whilst it compels to be given, thereby providing a comfortable living for a large population. Nature has endowed the district" with a fine bay, capable ol being turned into one of the best and safest harbours in the colony, and there is no doubt but that in the near future steps must be taken to make it such, as the settlers of Waimate and Parihaka, representing as they do over a million pounds worth of property, will not rest content to be cut off from the most favourable markets of the colony and the outside world through exorbitant transit rates, whilst they have a port at their own doors second to none on the West Coast. In order to advance the district to the position which nature intended it should occupy, it is necessary that every settler in it should take an interest in its welfare as a whole, and by all pulling together success must attend their effort. For our own part we shall devote our utmost energies to push the district ahead, and by making known and advocating its wants endeavour to get justice done to it. Our columns will always be open to every one for the ventilation of their opinions, whether they be in accord with our own or not. We know it is useless to expect unanimity amongst the members of any community, and therefore we do not expect to be in harmony with every one’s opinion ; but we hope to so direct our views that they will be for the best interests of the district at large, and therefore in accord with the groat majority of our readers, and in being so must leave the minority to take care of themselves in their own way. “ Fair play is Bonnie play ” is the motto we intend setting before ourselves in our career, and trust our endeavours to act up to it will meet the approval of our supporters. Generally it is expected that papers in starting should lay down a line on political matters which they intend to follow, garnishing it up with such phrases as “Measures, not. Men ” ; Liberal ” ; “ Independent ” ; “ Our country first, ourselves after,” &c.; but in actual practice they usually find the one word “expediency” to embrace the basis of all the support or condemnation of either measures or men which they feel themselves called upon to indulge in. We do not see that it is possible to lay down any hard and fast rule, but prefer to be guided by the exigencies of each case as it arises, and our rule will therefore be as near as possible “ Our district first, our neighbours next.”