Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, SEPT, 26, 1947 DODGING THE ISSUE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 85, 26 September 1947, Page 4

Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, SEPT, 26, 1947 DODGING THE ISSUE

THE post-war period has become remarkable for the dodging of public responsibility by Governmental Departments. It would almost seem that the main excuse for the existence of some departments is to formulate polite but meaningless letters in order to float away from any tangible responsibility which would be likely to burden them. A classic example is contained in the Works Department’s reply to the County Council’s pressing request that some effort be made to save the Whakatane river bridge from the erosion slowly eating into its approaches and also from the dangerous state of disrepair into which it was falling. The reply is typical. It blandly waves the whole question aside and points to vague futurity, ‘when the course of the existing State Highway is determined by way of route from Rotorua to Opotiki via Te Teko, Awakeri and Taneatua. No dates, no temporary protective work; no promise of any nature to safeguard the Borough from being entirely cut off by road. The one and only bridge which serves our town has been condemned years ago. Today its condition during flooding has given rise to gravest concern. The erosion of the river itself threatens the very highway it serves. And when all these urgencies are pointed out we are placidly informed that nothing can be done until an equally vague highway alignment has been finalised. The trouble with the average community today is, that it has become so innured to realities that half the people would drop dead from shock if the Government actually took a live interest and grappled with their problems in a determined manner. They have grown to expect polite evasion and airy promises with no semblance of substance. Indeed many of our local bodies would curl up with disappointment if complete acquiscence were extended to all their demands without the preliminary badgering and bartering from the official tripe factory. This unhealthy habit in a young and vigorous country is undoubtedly a legacy of war emergency legislation which has now developed into a fashionable procrastination. The sooner we outgrow this weakness the better.