Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2, 1924. LOOKING FORWARD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16320, 2 January 1924, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2, 1924. LOOKING FORWARD.

The year which has commenced is one of good possibilities for New Zealand. The country's finances are sound, its markets once again remunerative, its peoplo all in active employment, \ and with Vise statesmanship'and' a forward policy of development there is no reason why tlio Dominion in this year of grace 1934 should not make considerable progress in realisation of its great destiny. The time is opportune for that developmental policy. Tlie eyes of people in the Homeland are turned towards the Dominions. Thousands of peoplo of good British stock are ready to migrate to the new lands overseas, bringing their brains and their energy to build up a new Britain in the South. Hie Imperial Government, whatever party is in power, will bo ready to help such migration, and will assist with the provision of funds to enablo development to proceed which will give the migrants employment and furnjsh work for British factories in supplying the materials needed for such process of development. New Zealand can and probably will, raise a public works loan in England this year upon the most favorable) terms. With this money the Government should endeavor to push through to speedy completion such important national works as the East Coast Main Trunk railway, the several hydro-electrical undertakings, including Waikaremoana, tho construction of main arterial highways, and the roading of the backblooks. All such expenditure will prove remunerative. The Minister of Public Works need have no apprehension concerning the East Coast railway. Apart from tho question of whether traffic receipts will iramedi-

ately meet interest on expenditure—and \yq think they will—there is the "rentconsideration of the- opening of the country and the development of rural industries. No one* who has travelled Coast and seen its extent of fine country can surely doubt that it is capable of carrying a population very much greater, than it supports at present. Let this, then, be our policy for the coming year, to urge the Government as a national duty to get morcv people into this fertile area, to provide proper means of communication to enable the natural wealth t) be developed, and to take all steps necrssarv for the closer settlement of the land. The time is opportune for a land settlement policy. Land values are in process of adjustment, and it would be much easier for the State than at any time in the past decade to acquire large landed properties on terms enabling them to be farmed in small areas with reasonable prosepcts of success. There are plenty of young men. trained to a. farming life, who are looking for opportunity to secure farms for themselves, and it is the duty of the Administration to do its best to meet such a natural and reasonable demand ; and not only that, but to bring fresh blood to the Dominion and to give it scope in the channels of productive industry. No part of the Dominion offers better advantage for such a policy as we have outlined than this mis-named Poverty Bay. We should like to see a real live Railway and Development League established, to press on every possible occasion, in the national as well as the local interest, the claims of tho East Coast, and to give our administrators and legislators .no rest until such. _ a. _policy _is broughtyinto complete, realisation. With this demand for State help must go substantial measures of self-help. _ It is necessary to demonstrate the faith wb have in' our district by the manner in which wo are prepared to push forward works that properly belong to the local sphere. Our harbor works, for instance. The improvement of county roads. We do hope that now the Government jr. doing its part in constructing the main highways, the counties will launch out in progressive works for the formation and metalling of the feeder roads, so that every farm in the district may have a proper outlet, giving all-the-year-round communication with markets and the outer world. Self-help must also he shown in the matter of hydro-electricity. It is one of the biggest benefits this district has yet to secure. A district, that has no coal and depends upon oversea freight for the materials needed to drive its wheels of industry is under a great handicap. The use of electricity would =ave the cost of thousands of tons of coal, and would help every industry, rural or urban. It would cause more industries to spring up, of that we are certain, and more industries are what this district and New Zealand need. Various measures ot self-help in the shape of municipal improvements could profitably be carried, out Street improvement is a most necessary complement to the erection of fine bridges now being carried out. Footpath improvement should proceed apace. Even in our main thoroughfares the surfaces of the paths are rough., ami calculated to give people foot troubles. Too many pathways are still overgrown with grass, giving the town an untidy, unkempt aspect. There are a good many loose ends that could he taken in hand and straightened out and beautified. The railway grounds are no credit to the Department or to the community, and not calculated to give, a pleasing impression to visitors arriving by train Though good work has been done on the Waikanae beach by a small but energetic band, there, is still room for considerable improvement, especially in the way of adornment of the surrounding ground's and the provision of more shelter. Other beaches, also, could Avell receive attention in tho way of provision of shelter and conveniences. There is great scope in Gisborne for a live Beautifying Association such as Hamilton and many another progressive provincial centre in New, Zealand possesses. We would fain see tho exercise in Gisborne of more of the civic spirit. It would be a. good slogan for 1924 to say : "Citizens, beautify your town." We are satisfied that any money spent on civic adornment will be amply repaid. Gisborne is steadily expanding its sphere of influence. One has only to look at the registration marks of tho motor cars in our streets to realise this People- come from as far abroad as Opotiki and Wairoa districts to shop in Gisborne. Const people are,getting the habit of coming to town for the day. Country folk frequently come, in for a day at the seaside. We shall have more and more visitors if we make nur town cleaner, brighter, and more _ generally attractive. The exercise of civic pride will pay. But apart from this base consideration it. is a duty wo owe to ourselves and to the splendid town and district we live in. It is a fair land in which our lines have been cast, and we as a people have not, much sou] if wo do not respond to the natural inclination of every good Britisher to beautify his surroundings and show somejnterest in, civic amenities.' There are various o'ther directions in which public interest and energy may bo expected to run in .the year now well begun, but we think we have said enough to set forth the value of publicspirited citizenship, and we hope many of those amongst us who have not hitherto taken part in public affairs wiH be induced to come forward and share in the responsibility of carrying forward schemes of national, district, and eiyic achievement.