Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4, 1950

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 81, 4 January 1950, Page 4

Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4, 1950

ENTER 1950 The beginning of a new year can always bring some solemn thoughts, if one will but listen to the inner ticking of the thinking mechanism. There was, and still is, virtue in the old idea of New Year resolutions. It was the custop to resolve, on New Year’s Eve, to live a better, fuller, more useful life in the coming year. That should go for nations as much as for individuals. For Communities as much as for nations. ! Let us then, as a nation, resolve this year to work and think constructively for permanent world peace, for the cooperation of the nations, and for true world brotherhood. Let us think more of the things we can have in common with other nations of' the world and less of the possible points of conflict. Let us strive diligently to understand their suspicions of us and to allay them, rather than to allow ourselves to be dragged into mud-slinging contests that inevitably lead through the paths of mistrust and hatred to war.

So much for the nation. For this community 1950 holds exceptional promise of progress. There is a good chance we might yet have the main sea outlet for the Bay of Plenty. Our claims are as good as anybody else’s Some informed people say they are better.

There is no doubt this town and district are going ahead. But a more active interest in its progress is needed from John Citizen. No matter what the move, there is too much left to too few. We are not yet sufficiently aware, in the mass, of our tin7Whakatane’s expansion is recognised as inevitable. The

granting of a new hotel license brought that fact to the fore in discussion as to which direction the expansion of the business area should take.

Actually, both factions in that argument were right. There is scope for expansion of the Strand area, and there is need for expansion at Kopeopeo. Kope has a big job to do in attending to the urgent and immediate wants of the population centred around it and it must always be a solid business centre.

But there is little prospect that the main centre of the town will shift. Too many of the essential services—services essential to farm people as well as town dwellers —are grouped there.

The argument about the hotel site has two angles, both reasonable. There is a just claim by Kopeopeo people that it would be handy to be able to get a beer nearer the home threshold, and there is the possibly stronger claim that, as an accommodation house, the hotel would be more use nearer town.

What has been widely discussed is the suggestion , that the Borough Cuncil might apply for the license. Supporters of that idea see in it a good way to provide additional public utilities out of the profits of a Borough enterprise without a rise in rates. They might not,, however, have considered all the difficulties. The large capital expenditure in the first place, and the securing of supplies fjpr the cellar from competitive I monopolists. - l

Those are angles to/ be weighed carefully against &ach other before any decision ,is made. But, on the face of it, the argument for a municipal liotel does seem to warrant serious thought.