ADVANCING THE DISTRICT.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 933, 4 July 1903, Page 3

ADVANCING THE DISTRICT.

(Wairoa Guardian.) Wairoa fbr the past twenty-five •'•years has been systematically neglected by the Government in power during that period, and this neglect is reduced to an axiom, as is admit, led-by the press of the' colony. There are few places in New Zealand more favored by Nature. The climate is second to none, as is evidenced by the fact that such sub-tropical fruits as oranges and lemons arc grown in "profusion in the open. We have at • our doors the most beautiful scenery, one might almost say .In the world, at Waikaremoana, which is /fast becoming a favorite tourist r'c•sort. The land surrounding us is undeniably, of the -best, but a great portion of it is at present locked up and not available fbr productive purposes. If our own harbor improvements, as contamed iu Mr Napier Bell’s scheme, arc not carried out, wo have the Waikokopu

Harbor within 25 miles of us-a harbor admitted by experts to be the best between Wellington and Auckland. The road metalled, and metalled well, between hero \ and that port, with motor carriages, will ‘ place us within an hour and a half of one another. This is a valuable asset, which the public should not lose sight of. Our treatment by tho postal authorities in granting ns only one weekly overland service from Gisborne and Napier is a aourco of considerable expense, ineonvemonce, and annoyance to every man carrying on business in the township, aDd goes to provp what a tolerant community wo are, as no - l _ * I*/* oinniYlPl*

dependence can be placed on the steamer cainiog access to this port on account of the bar. Wairoa fairly bristles with essential requirements, but so long as tho people sit down in an apathetic and listless manner, twiddle their thumbs, and wait Micawbor like for something to turn up so long will this town remaiu as it has done for the past 25 years in statu „uo. If this place is to be forged ahead,

quo. XI turn innou «« . “ , , - * as its back country and coming local industries demand, it behoves a few of tfco loading town and country settlers to form themselves into an organised body, meet once a month, and lay before tho powers thft be, in no uncertain language, the re- • ouirements of the publio. Many a township of mushroom growth, compared with Wairoa, is far ahead of it, with facilities for carrying on business, but these facili--1" ties have only been acquired by a body as suggested above, demanding from the Government not favors, but their rights. This has never been done in Wairoa, and the sooner the public realise this fact the better it will be for themselves and their pockets.