Anno Domini 1928.

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 20, 12 January 1928, Page 1

Anno Domini 1928.

Despite the revealed, and even the concealed, envy of those war-stricken nations less happily circumstanced than ours to survive intact war's aftermath and day of settlement, the British Empire seems at last to give promise of emerging therefrom this coming year. Were other nations, friendly and unfriendly, as willing to "bury the hatchet" and resume oldtime inter-trading relationships, one with another, all would be well with the world. Failing such evidence of squaring accounts with her as she has striven to do with America, which could have waited the longest for her money, Britain has at last seen the advantage of her daughter Dominions' wish to trade exclusively, if need be, with her. The visit of Mr. and Mrs. Amery to the Antipodes should bring this desired consummation to pass the sooner upon their return to the Homeland this year. "The-inore you spend upon another Briton the more that other Briton will have to spend upon you," said Mrs. Amery at Napier; and her farewell message to New Zealand in returning to the Homeland might well become our commercial slogan for 1928, apart from patriotic sentiment, because convincingly sincere, sensible, and true. Carried further, every penny

spent among local tradespeople is a wise investment, because no progress can be made locally towards fullest civic expansion whose own shopkeepers and professional personages of one kind and another are otherwise kept unprogressive, unpatronised beyond bare subsistence, and, perforce, few. Let any reader of ours look about him and say he has cause to regret giving his local shopkeeper such extensive patronage as has enabled him in turn to enlarge or build new premises, keep a more attractive display of goods, and sell as cheaply as in the city, and even cheaper where he can. Without such patronage Lower Hutt were indeed a sorry sort of town, whereas the year 1928 marks the high tide of its civic progress in this and every other respect since the slogan "Shop in Lower Hutt" began to have free play. We take this opportunity of congratulating the Mayor and Councillors of our Borough upon their optimistic foresight in providing, not only for the present, but the future, needs of this our progressive suburban town. Their diligence, above all, has inspired certain among its wealthier citizens to worthily help its progress along by gifts of immense value to the town, making Lower Hutt a ten times better place to dwell in than heretofore. With the advent of the new railway, workshops, and continguous settlement in the Waiwetu area, and the prospect of a big reclamation scheme towards deep water at Howard's Point, what g-eai; things (at present hidden within the mind of Government circles) are for us in store in the near future, now our tide financially for good is on the turn.

By supporting your local shopkeeper you are helping to boost your own town.