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Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1923, Page 2

A VAi.UKt) contributor wrote interestingly yesterday on the Boy Scout movement. It is pleasing to learn that a icvival is to take place in this matter, and that parents in particular are to by specially invited to co-operate. A meeting with parents should form a useful basis whereon to found an active effort to promote the movement more generally, not only in the town, but also in the country districts. The youths have everything to gain by allying themselves with the movement, ‘lee motto of the Scout is to he prepared. '1 fie lad can learn a great deal, fitting himself for a more manly life. 'There is frequent reference in the press and from the platform (as also me pul) it) of the drifting of the youth mole town ids pleasures than to the realities of life. Living is much faster than in former years a couple of decades ago. Homo life is less exclusive. There is a general lack of home inlltienee in the faster ways we live. The Scout movement takes the lad along manly lines, teaches him comradeship and helpfulness. Equips his mind, his body, and his bands lor lietter thinking and doing, and altogether does a great service for the rising generation. It will he a good thing to see a healthy revival in the movement here, and wo hope practical work, and first class results "ill accrue.

ONK of ilu> speakers at the local bodies conference on Wednesday night, delivered himself of some homo truths on the, state of the roads in tlit' town. Incidentally there was a quiet dig at the' “new” Council, ul which tlw speaker asked, more in. sorrow than in anger, what had it done? It. was generally conceded by the Mayor and Deputy-Mayor that much required to he done. The maintenance of the roads, however, is not u loi*.l problem, ft is a world problem. Every country has its phase of the difficulty to grapple with. As Mr Perry remarked, the heavy traffic nowadays over roads nut constructed to catty such burdens, created the problems for the local bodies. Ordinary material did not suffice, unloss specially laid and maintained. That entailed very heavy cost, far beyond local resources. ISut while this is substantially so, there is the need to endeavour to carry out ordinary maintenance so that a reproach such as appeared to be justified by the remarks on Wednesday night, might ho removed. Actually, with the loan proposals, the Council has funds in sight to carry out. what should lie a fairly comprehensive scheme of road and street improvement and something along these lines might now be formulated vciy opportunely.

It was not very pleasing to learn the other evening, from the remarks of I)i Teichelmann, President of the Acclim’atH'tion Society, that, that body is not- feeling financially strong enough to continue its tourist activities in regard to I-ako Kanieri. The Society in question for some years has been doing a great deal of honorary work in promoting tourist traffic. Tt libs received very little kudos for what it has done, and* actually not much encouragement, -he Society has had to finance itself chiefly, which meant that members had to become jointly and severally responsible for debts contracted not for any individimrbenefit, but actually the public good. Hitherto certain Government assistance supplemented local income, but that has been withdrawn, and now royalty payments from "the Government arc being diminished also. The Forestry Department, for instance, is seriously raiding the funds of the Acclimatisation Society liy quietly appropriating half of the revenue front royalty on opossum skins! If the Society work at Lake Kanieri ceases, it will be a serious matter, as the inaction will mean the loss of the use of the launch for visitors to one of the finest lakes in the Dominion. The position is such that in some way something should be done to enable the Society to retrieve its position and certainly carry on its good work in and about Lake Kanieri.