OUR PROSPERITY DEPENDS ON MILL AND DAIRY LANDS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 67, 21 March 1949, Page 5

OUR PROSPERITY DEPENDS ON MILL AND DAIRY LANDS

“Within a relatively short time Whakatane could . easily have a population of 10,000,” Mr D. G. McCallum, who leaves the managership of the Union Bank here to take over at Palmerston North today, said at a farewell gathering on Thursday

evening. He had just been presented with a booklet publicising Whakatane, and autographed by those* present (members of the executive of the Chamber of Commerce and representatives of local organisations with which he had been associated). Having expressed his faith in Whakatane’s future in most emphatic terms, Mr McCallum said its continued prosperity depended on two things—production on the “swamp” and the wages payout at the Board Mill. He emhasised the need for the closest possible understanding between town and country' if the town were to prosper and country residents to get the service they needed and deserved.

Though he believed it would not be long before this place had a population of 10,000, Mr McCallum mentioned that retarding factors were the lack of, an aerodrome and a decent passenger rail service. In his opinion a rail car would be more than justified on this line.