TOPICS OF THE DAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 318, 7 December 1910, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The discussion on the dust problem raised at Friday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, while leading to no definite immediate action, served a useful purpose in drawing attention to one of the most difficult problems the municipality has to deal with. The storekeeper? on Bora street suffer severe losses through the depreciation of their stocks by the dust nuisance. No amount of watering will keep the dust elewn. It is caused by an imperfectly formed roadway, largely used by horse and vehicular traflic, and the first and last way of dealing with it is to re-form the road-bed. Unfortunately, this cannot be done at present, owing to the necessity for other borough works being carried out. The installation of cur water and

drainage services will necessitate the opening up of the road-bed for the purpose of laying down pipes?, and if the. gas-lighting system is also installed, a further pipe will have to be laid for that. The only possible temporary expedient is to clear away loose surface dust in the very early hours of the morning and to spray the surface of the road with some heavy mineral oil. This would certainly Lie worth a trial if only for the benefit of

the long-suffering tradesmen in our principal thoroughfare. Then. later . on, after all the borough works are completed, might come a comprehensive scheme for asphalting the whoic road surafce. The session just ended will he memorable for, not only the Bills that have been passed, but for a number of Bills that have not succeeded. While the difficult problems wrapped up in the Land Bill have been left, over for a more convenient season, several valui able Bills have been added to the Statue Books-, and will come into operation at an early date. Chief amongst these is the Band Settlement Finance Amendment Bill, which increased the value of the land that maybe held by one owner under the Act to £2500. The Licensing Bill had its good points too, though we have criticised it upon it:; weaknesses. The Gaming Bill docs its best to abolish the bookmaker, though it. hardly does justice to country clubs, which arc more in the nature of picnic panics, as one member put it, and hold only one meeting a year. The National Provident Fund Bill was a fine measure and will benefit many of our people who could otherwise not be covered by other schemes. The Public Holidays Bill

was another useful measure and will provide useful holidays on days when they can be most profitable. The Libel Bill, too, was a much-needed measure. The session has been a long one, and our tired-out legislators have earned any holiday they now get. There has been too much talk, as is inevitable, but a perceptible amount of grain has been sifted from the legislative chaff.