OPUNAKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1921, Page 7

OPUNAKE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The local tennis club opened the season under promising conditions, several new and ethusiastic members being seen regularly at the courts. Steady progress is being made with the concrete work in connection with he soldiers’ memorial. It is reported that a local motor ’bus proprietor was the successful tenderer for the New Plymouth—Opunake mail service.

The Opunake Croquet Club held their inaugural meeting last week. The secretary (Mr. T. H. H. Sinclair) presented the balance sheet, which showed a credit balance of £7. The club members have made arrangements to play on private lawns until the club has secured a permanent one. The Domain Board should consider providing grounds suitable for croquet and tennis. There is sufficient land for all our pastimes on the recreation ground. The Board would assist if approached by the enthusiasts. Egmont’s pressing needs are: Hydroelectric power loan, £70,000; main roads loan, £80,000; harbor improvement loan, £50,000; total, £200,000. Why not consolidate the loans and go outside the Dominion for the money? All the loans are needed to provide work for the unemployed and the prospective immigrants. By consolidation the ratepayers would get better terms from the money-lend-ers, and it would be a saving in the cost of raising the money. The ratepayers have to guarantee the lot. So let us get it in a lump sum and be done with it. It is a bit cheery to hear the chairman of the Opunake Harbor Board strike a hopeful note over local harbor affairs. He said the harbor improvement loan was by no means dead. The board were waiting until the promised legislation giving harbor boards power to increase the rate of interest on loans and extending the time of loans that were promoted. Most of us were a bit “down” when the harbor loan was unsuccessful The remarks of the chairman are encouraging, and such good all-round optimism is a good asset in our country when so much pessimism is apparent. The Opunake Town Board deferred consideration of leasing of town building sites until next meeting. The board should consider the future of the leases in the fullest terms. The last leases put up for public tender were for terms of 21 years, with right of a further 21 years at renewed valuation. It is a mistake for the board to let any future lease without a clause compelling the successful tenderer to build within a certain period. Failure to do so should be a sufficient reason for the leases to revert to the board. It is ridiculous to allow a tenant to hold a building site on a 42 years tenure, for the purpose of holding on until it becomes valuable. The board can always get a tenant at will for sections for use as a calf paddock or clothes line purposes. The wet weather has brought the blight into the potato patch.

Governor Jellicoe is to be suitably welcomed here. He will lay the foundation stone of the soldiers’ memorial. This will be the first official visit of a Governor to Opunake since Lord Glasgow stayed a day and a night in the district.