King Country Chronicle Saturday. April 22. 1911. TOPICS OF THE DAY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 354, 22 April 1911, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Saturday. April 22. 1911. TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The progress of Pio Pio is again demonstrated by the decision of the shareholders in the Town Hall Company to get their building erected as soon as ever possible. It speak well for the spirit of enterprise amongst the residents in thai: rising township that they face, at this early date in its history, the task of providing a public Hall suitable to the needs of the district, and the generosity of Mr V. S. Hattaway in presenting the site is only one pleasing aspect of the whole situation. Pio Pio is fortunate in its citizens. A town which has saleyanls, a dairy factory and prospectively a public hall, and up-to-jate school building, is not running Ear short of possessing the main conveniences of civilisation. We wisb ;hern every success in their endeavour :o provide for the needs of the districtr

Wednesday's sale of native leases in To Kuiti came as no surprise to those who have followed the astonishing growth of the borough and the rapid increase of values. All the same, the rentals bid for many of the suburban sections were utterly beyond what an average cautious business man would regard a a reasonable. When prices equivalent to from four to twelve times the upset price, and to a capital value of up to .£IOOO an acre were bid for what in the nature of things, cannot be other than residential sites, it makes one wonder when the limit will be reached. The progress of Te Kuiti is dependent upon the possibility of acquiring sections for residential ant! business purposes at rates which will compare favourably with tho3e in other similar centres. Speculators' profits, while, personally benefitting them, are a distinct loss to the community as a whole. If land is going to be rushed up in cost until it gets beyond the limits of moderate purses, general aetlement is retarded and building progress is crippled. On the ability to acquire residential sites at reasonable figures does the growth of our population depend. That Te Kuiti will be a big centre no one who knows denies. But whether that growth comas sooner or later is ; affected in large measure by the prob- j lem alluded to. Gambling in native leases does not help people to get | homes of their own, nor does it facili- . tate the erection of business premises, j When freehold land can be acquired | in Auckland at lower prices than na- | tive leases here have fetched, it calls . for caution when dealing in such I titles. So if we wish to see our town ; develop we must discourago excess in speculation and reckless dealings in j the land within the borough. ■ ♦♦♦♦ The unopposed re-election of Mr James Boddio as Mayor of To Kuiti j will be welcomed by all who have ■ followed the work of the Borough j Council during the past twelve ; months. Mr Boddie has brought to ! the council table a wide and ripe j experience, which has enabled him to control the business in a manner at '■■ once purposeful and tactful. That the work of the council was carried I through without any serious disagree- '■ ment during the year just gone is due j as much to the Mayor's tact and good temper as to the lack of any veryexplosive elements in the council itself We hope the new body to be elected on Wednesday next will prove as busi-ness-like as the old council. The borough loses the service of Messrs W. S. King, P. Eketone and J. Hetet, but gains those other candidates—which exactly, the poll next week will decide. The borough is ■ now in the throes of a constructive improvement and borough works

policy. No serious criticism has so far been forthcoming as to how and what works should be carried out first. The questions of street and household lighting and the building of fire brigade premises will be settled by the poll of ratepayers to be held on the same day as the council elections. We have little doubt the action of the late council will be endorced, and the loan be adopted. A few months should then serve to instal one or other of the systems of lighting the borough council has had before it, and our streets will be lighted in a mariner befitting the increasing traffic after dark.