The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1912. KEEP MOVING.

Waipa Post, Volume III, Issue 112, 21 May 1912, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 21, 1912. KEEP MOVING.

IT would be unnecessary to ex press pleasure on our own paror on behalf of —we hope —every ratepayer at the receipt of the information that the long-looked for reports on water supply, drainage works, lighting, and street improvement schemes are in the hands of the Town Board, and that the hopes entertained for the early undertaking of these highly necessary and beneficial public works, is now within measurable distance. The arrival of the necessary data gives quite a new aspect to our loan proposals. It now rests with the ratepayer to show whether he has been in earnest in his somewhat candid condemnation of the Town Board, and his expressed desire for the taking of a poll, and places within measurable i distance the time when he will be I called upon to make good his demand for progress. We, with! others, had began to think the.j .Board was not in earnest. Certain it is that its actions were j somewhat tardy, and yet despite this, it has now in its possession complete reports, with maps, showing the whole of the water supply scheme. With full re-

ports and the necessary maps the Board- members should have no difficulty in converting even the most pessimistic of our townsmen to support the undertaking. The town’s interests are at stake, and the settlement of this poll resolves itself into a'question not so much of “ shall we authorise the loan,” but the more important issue, “ Progress or stagnation.” As a recent visitor was heard to say : “ If Tc Awamutu undertakes the proposed loans it will make itself into a thriving commercial centre within three years—if it doesn’t, well, it will not reach the same stage of prosperity in thirty years.” With this fact always in view the Board can easily overcome an}r petty though probably conscientious objection raised on the grounds of excessive rating. The objector to our loan proposals is worse than a pessimist; he is a block to permanent progress. He certainly is not a good citizen. The first essential of a good citizen is public spiritedness. A little of this necessary qualification means at the present juncture a big return in the value of the land which necessarily follows the undertaking of the proposals. But it is useless to make reference to the man who condemns progress. He is in a hopeless minority and will not, with the early prospect of a poll have the effrontary to expound his views openly. However shortsighted a small section of our townsmen may be in many instances probably from conscientious motives, we have never yet heard it said that better facilities in the direction indicated in the loan proposals are not required. Then, may we ask on what grounds are objections based ? He wants better facilities, vet objects to make payment for what he receives. If he is not ashamed of himself for making such an admission, he ought to be. It but requires the completion of a few necessary preliminaries by law to enable the Board to make a definite announcement regarding the poll. When this is done the question is one for ratepayers. Within two weeks the Board should be able to come forward with its announcement of the date of the poll. We hope ratepayers will prove themselves worthy to carry the load ; we know through increased values they will be more than able. If they don’t they will have no grievance if other towns attain the position which Te Awamutu is so rightly entitled to. We congratulate the Board on the present position and trust that nothing but congratulatory references may be made to their work right on from now till the consummation of their scheme.