THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 1909. BEGINNING THE NEW.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 120, 7 January 1909, Page 2

THE KING COUNTRY CHRONICLE. THURSDAY, JAN. 7, 1909. BEGINNING THE NEW.

In turning a new page in the book of Time, itiiu well to pause and review briefly some of the happenings of the put year which have left their mark on our district. It is moreover, a memory-freshening process which may be of service in framing the annual crop of good resolutions which make for the benefit of man, individually and collectively, and direct bim somehwat in the march of progress. The past year has been eventful in many respects, and happenings of little apparent connection have all contributed towards the progress of the district. The bush ires of summer, while regarded initially as dfcastroos to the settlers, have eome to be regarded in the light of an unmixed blessing. Following in their wake. In addition to the cleaning of log strewn burns of previous years, have come greater grass-growing and stock-carrying capacity, with the consequent enhanced value of properties,

benefits which no other agency could have so effected. The fall in wool, and the subsequent stringency of the money market, will probably mark 1908 as an eventful year throughout the pastoral world of the Dominion, but a cheerful note is sounded with respect to both markets, and there is every prospect of a complete recovery in the near future. Politically, the district has progressed in a truly remarkable manner. A visit from the Premier in the c: rly winter did much to convey a realistic knowledge of the state of our winter roads, and increased grants, and a much more active roading policy is welcome evidence that a very small amount of experience is worth untold quantities of theory. A visit from the opposition leader, while productive of no direct result, served to show that the district had emerged from its political babyhood, and was at last regarded as possessing claims which had hitherto been disregarded. The townships deputation to Wellington may also be mentioned as possess-

; ing a flavour of political significance, : and there is little doubt the work and I influence of the deputation was alto- \ gether beneficial to the district. The : general election for Parliament left I our political atmosphere unchanged, ■ but the County Council election was j productive of an alteration in the perI sonnel of the Council, while a severi ance has to be recorded from the fact of Ohura electing to form a separate County. These, and other happenings serve to show that our residents have not been idle, and widespread interest j has been exhibited by the settlers in i the endeavour to keep the district in ' the forefront, and obtain for it that ! consideration from tne authorities , which is so vitally necessary to a dis- | trictwith a rapidly growing population i and illimitable resources. That the | greatest public and private activity is j necessary to our district there is no gainsaying. At present the King Country is little more than a vast potentiality, possessing resources and attractions little dreamed of by even its greatest advocates. Its ultimate destiny is assuredly of the brightest, but before the happy consummation of our hopes is reached, there are complex social and economic problems to be solved. Whether the solution thereof is hindered or hastened practically rests with ourselves. If we accept the cult of the fatalist and sit patiently and await the inevitable, without striving to influence or direct the controlling hand, we will surely get the inevitable- which is usually worse than nothing. Only by active and unremitting effort, and co-operation in the public cause, can we hope to accomplish anything, or assist in work- { in out the destiny of one of the finest ! districts in the Dominion. For the ■ King Country is indeed a goodly herii tagc. Untold acres of rich rolling ! lands from seacoast to railway, and ' from railway again far into the interior, capable of producing to the high- ; est in all branches of* farming; mammoth forests of splendid timber; coal seams of proved quality, and other natural resources of greater or less importance, it is a district such as is rarely found in any country. Forest I and fern and swamp are gradually ! giving place to cultivation where axe ' and fire have done their work,and settlei ment has now begun in earnest. j Townships of ideal situation, sheltered j by hills, and watered by even flowing ; streams are in their initial stages, and ! cry aloud for the public spirit. That S spirit, which was evinced at times to j good effect by our settlers during the past year, is called upon with increasing insistence as time progresses, and ' it is to be hoped the coming year will j see demands met with that readiness which has characterised our people in the past. Such an opportunity is seldom given to men of furthering the . cause of progress, and playing a hand in I the development of a great district, | and by working hand in hand and acj cepting the public demands as we do j our private responsiblitie6, much may ; be accomplished. Moreover, public and private progress are so interwoven in any new district that prosperity for one means prosperity for all, and the duty of co-operative effort is obvious.