BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 2, 1949 MURUPARA’S FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 81, 2 May 1949, Page 4

BAY OF PLENTY BEACON Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, MAY 2, 1949 MURUPARA’S FUTURE

Quite rightly the Whakatane Chamber of Commerce is concerning itself with the problem of better access from Whakatane to Murupara. Murupara, in view of the Government’s declared intentions regarding its development, can look forward to a great future, and we in Whakatane cannot afford to ignore the possible effect upon ourselves. Though perhaps geographically nearer Rotorua, Murupara people feel that Whakatane is more truly their town. - That is natural, since Murupara is part of the Whakatane County. When the Government dream of a paper or pulping mill at Murupara comes true—and it looks as though it must come true whichever Party is the Government after the coming election—community of interest between the two towns will be immeasurably strengthened. The fact that a rail link between Murupara and Edgecumbe has been under survey for some time suggests strongly that a substantial portion of the forestry products from the Murupara area will come this way. What more natural, then, than that Murupara folk should look to Whakatane as their business centre? It is therefore sound commonsense on the part of Whakatane’s business community to interest itself in Murupara’s needs. , On Thursday night Mr H. G. Warren, who has a gift for the mot juste, declared that the area between here and Murupara was one of Whakatane’s life lines. He is right. That area is destined to play a major part in the future development of Whakatane which must inevitably become a first-class provincial centre. A daily service between here and Murupara would no doubt be a constructive move but, as the Road Services branch manager pointed cut, the proposition would need to be fully investigated first. Naturally, the Government would want to be satisfied that there is sufficient demand to increase the service immediately, but there seems little doubt that if the figures could be placed before the authorities they would prove just that. As a starting point in making Murupara people • even more I Whakatane-conscious than they are already, and as a practical ■ indication of our earnest desire to serve them better, it • seems the Chamber of Commerce might ; be doing a really useful job if it ; had such a report prepared to : back its representations. i;