TUAKAU—AND JERRY BUILDERS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 705, 7 February 1922, Page 8

TUAKAU—AND JERRY BUILDERS.

(By “Prcgressus."’)

Tuakau’s interests lie very c J ose to my heart, and any vandal who defaces its fair landscape or in selfishness injuriously influences the very blight and prosperous future that is Tuakau’s birthright, incurs my most signal displeasure and reuses an implacable determination to combat such reprehensible action. This article concerns a case in point and if the principle against which I here declaim is allowed to continue the result must be a jerry-built town, a real slum suburb. Some two orfmore years ago an individual living in the district built six cottages of the most disgraceful materials and workmanship near/the heart of the town. The roofs have sagged, the structures sway and creak vociferously in the wind : and. are generally most mean and unworthy dwellings. The outhouses are, well—unspeakably r.ttrocious. There they are to-day, a glaring epitaph to health and progress, and a reproach to Tuakau. Now another sample of this maladministration and utter absence of rudimentary knowledge of |the essentials of proper! building ils being given us in the busiest centre of the town. What an example to set for the future ! What a miserable standard to set up ! What a precedent and what a failure to look ahead, to see beyond to-day!

Just lately a correspondent, “Retired,’’ wrcfte about “odours” here ; that was not nearly so important a matter as this one, because you can get rid, of odours, but once a place is buil ( t it is there for good—in this case a lasting offnece to Tuakau’s pride and a disgrace to a progressive town. T want, like “Retired,” to refer to the East. We r/top the people of the East from coming into Australia and New Zealand because they have a lower standard of living, and if allowed to settle amongst us would reduce our standard, too. Therefore, it follows, anvono who reduces our standard of living is an undesirable person. “Standard of living’’ means not onlv food and. clothing, but also .tlin building in which we live either for domestic or business purposes.. That is why we have sanitary inspectors for condemning buildings below our standard What is our standard ? Tt is a building erected to comply with conditions laid down by the community concerned. If that community has g poor degraded standard. people of taste or affluence will avoid it like the plague, as anyone would a miserably-dressed, slatternly person. Tuakau is a growing Cinderella : surely the people of Tuakau do not want to be Cinderella’s stepsister. forcing her into old, repulsive clothes; surely they want .to be the Fairv Godmother and give her the worthy adornments that aided her attractiveness and enhanced her great beauty. Two business premises (save the mark ! premises ! Oh, ye step-sisters !) are being erected in Tuakau in the main centre of the ,towrw. These two erections are as fair below a decent standard, as could possibly be imagined One is a small tin shed “affair” with a big second-hand pantry tacked on the hack. Oh, where are our by-law administrators ! The owner is one of those administrators. The other erection is a. small office be'ng built out of pinus insignus next the Post Office.. Business premises built out of pinus insignus in the heart of the business centre ! Again, wjiere are our by-law administrators ? The owner, here also, is another of those same administrators.

Who is to blame ? If the Town Board engineer is at fault, get another. If not, put the blame on those responsible. BUjt do, for pity’s sake. top the slovenly and disgusthag from characteirsing our town buildings. Look forward a little and work for the future—work for permanence and dignity.. This is a case where a Ratepayers’ Association could look after the interests of all, protesting vigorously against the erection of such trumpery, unsightly buildings in the centre of the town, with its consequent influence of reduction in value of property in the district.

Cancel the permits to-day, even if compensation has to be paid the builders. Such compensation would be no loss compared to the loss to

the whole community if they are completed. Do something urgent, ye ratepayers ! Call a meeting at once! Each one of you do something to preterit, and do it now.