Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBONE, THURSDAY, JAN 9, 1901.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9036, 3 January 1901, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBONE, THURSDAY, JAN 9, 1901.

OUR WATCHWORD: PROGRESS. As it is impossible to put back the hands of the clock to the hours of the nineteenth century, so it is also impossible to stop the progress of this fertile district, which, with its area of rich settled lands ever increasing, is bound to advance m productivity. It is, however, within the power of the residents of the district to delay' or hasten that progress, by inaction on the one hand, or by activity on the other. We have to be thankful for the results of the lasi decade of the past century, which have proved how much can "b§ done by concerted action and by persistent agitation, but there is no reason why the first twenty years of the new era should not be attended with infinitely greatei success. The first essential is that there should be unity of effort and a strong zeal and energy among the,people themselves. Given these factors,- everything is m our favor, and we do not doubt that substantial progress will be the outcome. There should be some organisation representative m character set up to watch the interests of the district and to impel its 1 progress. It is true that we have various associations whose objects embody tha^ aim, but they none of them very satisfactorily answer that purpose. The Chamber of Commerce i& the one that should most closely fulfil the conditions we have noted, but that is. not truly representative m character, and we are sorry to state has lately been lacking m energy. Prominent merchants and others who. might have been expected Ho take an active part m the proceedings of so useful a body have abstained from attending"its meetings, leaving the work to fall upon the shoulders of a few enthusiasts. The political associations, also, do pot answer the purpose. They exist merely as political machines fpr "the production of votes al election time, and their proceedings during the term of a Parliament are not nearly so energetic on behalf of district affairs as they should be. The local governing bodies are restricted m their operations to the localities which immediately concern them. We would suggest either that the Chamber of Commerce be galvanised into life or that a Progress Association be. formed, and would urge the leading business people and country settlers to come out of their individual retreats and throw some energy and enthusiasm into the affairs of this port of the colony. There is no lack of subjects requiring attention. Land settlement, roads, railways, new industries, all require persistent striving after to secure their obtainment. Let such an Association be formed, and let it set before it a programme of events to be secured and accomplished, say, within twenty years. This should include the completion of railway connection with Auckland and Napier, the thorough opening up of our back country, and junction of the coast district to Gisborne with good roads, the establishment of such industries as co-operative dairying, jam factories, timber mills, and even a woollen ' manufactory; the formation, of a Greater Gisborne scheme, to embrace the permanent improvement and complete sanitation of the town, and various other objects that may suggest themselves. Are we to be called visionaries for suggesting these things, which will only place our district on a. footing with other centres of m the colony ? When the matter of a railway was first mooted in 1 these columns there were many who had no hope of its obtainment, and it was only by constant .urging that the people were induced, to "band themselves together as a Railway League and to agitate. There is as much need for Railway League agitation to-day as there was five years ago, for, though we have the earnest of a railway m .the formation works that ore being carried put, the Government and Parliament cannot be expected to make substantial grants for the subseqpuent construction of the line unless 'we let the worlcV know what our re-' quirements and our possibilities are. It j would be the duty of an association such as we suggest to thoroughly advertise the district abroad., and by persistently call-, ing attention to its importance they would ( not only secure greater grants of public; money, but would, we are sure, attract many desirable settlers to the place.