The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1929. A MUNICIPAL POLICY.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1929. A MUNICIPAL POLICY.

As this vicar will witness tlie municipal elections, and ns it is not lifting tlnit the town should stolid still, ii, would he well to sec n definite niunieiI•;!I ]>c>!if\y formulated. The Borough Council hns its intentions and obliga lions in to some iin])rovement in the water supply, hut the motto has hccn lor so long to “hasten slowly,’ that sections o l ’ the ratepayers are despairing of me fruition u! the proposals within a reasonable time. r J ho Council deserves what credit there is : n the virtue of conserving its funds to provide for the major cost of the work proposed without proposing a loan with its concurrent security rate, hut there has hoen delay and a starving of other necessary activities which if a ha lance were struck, might over balance any possible saving resulting from the present careful policy. In a town ot this si/.c there is so much to do. Councillors are disposed to proceed piece-meal rather than ill a comprehensive way. But there are many matters arising which require early attention. One matter which the Council should look into owing to the changing circumstances of tlie times, is necessary provision for motor traffic. The volume is growing rapidly, and the streets mostly in use should he prepared elliciently to carry the traffic. On the ordinary dirt s'reefs.ti e traffic necessi tries constant attention in the way ot repairs. There is either a dust or a mud nuisance all the year round. Ihe dust is very annoying to householders and shopkeepers. Apparently the best the Council can do in this matter is to attempt a ,feeble policy of tarscaling, and. despite the I act that the ]o-al Gas Company is giving up its supplies of tar at less than half cost, the Council ill its use of the tar still adopts the “hasten slowly” policy. Something more comprehensive should be ,1, noT Two of the prieipul streets are secondary highways, and they carry aconsiderable volume of tradic. I'inaiieial assistance could he obtained from lie Main Highways Board to assist the Council to lay down a greatly improved surface—one which would cost less to maintain, remove the dust nuisance, and genera lie give the town an air of modernity it lacks now in comparison with towns elsewhere, even ol less size and importance. It is imp( ssiliie to move a bread without seein what small boroughs are doing in the matter of better streets earning the major traffic, and a line of policy nrglit he devised here to do likewise. Of late the Council has been doing seine .considerable work in regard t f > ordinary maintenance of streets and footpaths, but more permanent work should he done in the way of concrete channelling and tar-sealing of the lootways. This suggests more stringent regulations (or the enforcement of Ll-m) to prevent overgrowth on the footpaths. There are some had examples in some of the streets, which in L only present an eyesore, hut are a menace to tlie unwary. As regards si nitation. the Council has its plans to renew the Sewell street drain. But lr re again the “ hasten slowly ” policy obtrudes. A large quantity of material has been accumulated for the pur-pose-paid for out of rates—and the w<>rk is to proceed—sometime. The Council, or at all events the ratepayers slemld expect, the Council to liven up and pursue its programme more actively. By husbanding its funds money has been accumulated for imporhinf works, lnii the works are susp< nded meantime. The Council appears to he over-careful, not to say stagnant, and a livening up of activities are necessary. The appearance - f the town is the worth of the local citizenship. A leaven of new blood in flu 1 Council to he elected shortly might he helpful. We have seen what can he expected in general politics by a change. Why not try it in local policies as a means to ensure a progressive municipal policy being undertaken for the benefit of the town?