THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1908. PUBLIC RESERVES FOR KING COUNTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 64, 10 January 1908, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1908. PUBLIC RESERVES FOR KING COUNTRY.

In the opening up of any young country.it is a commonly accepted doctrine that one of the first duties of those in authority is the setting aside of lands sufficient for the needs of progress for at least a reasonable period ahead, be the said lands, so reserved, much or little. In certain cases the ideas of those responsible for this necessary work ate naturally astray* but rarely is an error made on the side of liberality.. However, the main thing is to have ide§£ of progress, and when time reveals its hand, whatever charge may fee fajd against those responsibi*, that 9<" neglect cannot be catalogued against them. In applying the doctrine to our district the Government certainly has not erred oa the score of liberality.

and foresight, as regards the future of the King Country, has been mainly noticeable for its absence. Evidently the Government is obessed with the idea that the King Country is chiefly worth exploiting as a tourist resort, and many areas in various localities have been set apart as scenic reserves. No fault can be found with such a course, but seeing that the country is merely in its embryonic stage, now is the time to acquire and set aside reserves of every description, which may be necessary for the public good for years to come. The townships which have already been laid out on Native lands are lamentably deficient in the matter of reserves, and the present difficulty with regard to the Post-office site at Te Kuiti should convey some idea of the importance of mastering local requirements, when dealing with public matters. The same story can be told of every centre in the district, and no time should be lost in agitating for a chartge in the manner of dealing with the question. There can be no excuse for neglect in such an important matter, and the fact that the Tourist Department is acquiring targe tracts of country indicates that there is no difficulty in the way of securing the necessary lands for other purposes. Wherever the fault may have existed in the past, when the country carried no population except the Maori, it will surely be the fault of ourselves if we do not at least attempt to obtain due recognition for all requirements in the future. An unrivalled opportunity exists and, as settlement increases; when smiling homesteads take the place of standing bush and fern wastes; when new townships spring up along metalled roads and new railways, it it to be hoped the story will be told of progress assisted, and prosperity invited by the liberal provision of proper facilities and reserves by a sympathetic Government, at the request of enterprising and far-seeing pioneers who knew what made for progress, and used the proper methods to. obtain it.