A VISITOR TO LEVIN

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 June 1917, Page 3

A VISITOR TO LEVIN

(To the Editor). Sir, —I livo about half way from Levin to Otaki, and it is just ae fai for me to ride to one place ae the other; yet I always go to the northern town on Saturday nights to spend my money; and chiefly because the town is so well lighted. The central standards givo an air of distinction and gaiety to the place and make me fee , as if I were Walking the Strand or Broadway when I tTaverse Oxford st. Otaki would long ago hare adopted thie lighting scheme in envious rivalry only that the streets there arc so inadequate that if the standards v, ere placed in their middle the carts would not be aible to squeeze past thtfn. - In iLavin there is no euch trouble. But there is a conspiracy on the part of some individuals to do away with the standards. iDo Miey think they iwill too a1)le to buy the iron 'Uprights cheap for lighting the bowling 'green—or, perhaps, to plant round l their paddocks ffo that .their cows ca.n feed all night ftnd so give double profit? They may ns weM abandon such fallacious though attractive schemes. I happen to know that several keen business men in Manakau intend to put in a high bid for the uprights, so t\iat they can> set them up in the streets of that , rising township. Then, when Levin lias sold its birthright,' shall it see its historic riva.l by tl;o Waikawa stride to the front, and surpass easily its retrograde neighbor, 'because the letter knew not the hour of its betrayal. iNb doubt' these would-be reformers, when they have successfully banished the uprights, will use the pedestals to, hold up statues of themselves for the admiration of future generations. They will do well to adopt some such method of perpetuating tbeir memory, for if they go on as they have begun their term of office, like other nightmares they will he forgotten. The citizens of Levin should then plant on the large pedestal at the corner of Queen street a statute of the god Janus, not only ns a. fitting emblem of tflve council which abolished the, lights, but -also to remind themselves that they must watch both ways when their interests are threatened. ■■:.■•• Unknown as the personnel of 'tflais retrograde council are to me, I have some diffidence in trying to allot the blame to the right persons. Councillor Matheson has written at some length to try and justify the unparcelable and outrageous; but anyone reading his letter can see that he writes without conviction or enthusiasm. As the chief literary; member of the council, he has Undoubtedly had thrust upon him the uncongenial task of taking up the cudgels. 'He Bays, I thiiik, something about making the footpath lighter. Who ever would suspect the genial proprietor of the White House of really wanting the footpath any lighter? Where is the need? Since the vigorous campaign oP the Olenn-up and Paint-up" Society, all the drunks, dead cats, dead dogs, and other garbage have been removed from the sidewalks; and it is not now necessary to pick one's steps.' We surely don't want to see Boh'e; Horses' Rest any beHer, however glad we may be to avail ourselves of that useful institution. We go to Levin for two purposes; to do our Shopping j and to see tihe girls. For the first oP these you want dark footpaths and well-lit shop-windows, and for the second an advantageous position for viewing the dears and plenty of shadowy corners to talk to them in. Now I know of no tetter place for contemplating the rapturous female countenance than when the unconscious ch«rniei, is gazing at the works of art in the aforesaid Mr. Matbeson's well-lit windows (No, you needn't look at the end; this is not an ad. paid for with lucre, but nn honest, well-deserved tribute). In the brilliant light from ; these windows, I say, no tittle of the subtlest and most delicate play of expression is lost. In this serene atmosphere has been developed that charming smile which is not only an asset and embellishment to the ■ town, welcoming weary wayfarers, but a- good' sound business proposition to its proprietor. If the sidewalks were brightly lit the crowd would surge along and the people would look at each other and* have no time to look at the shops Then would the callow youth learn to wink at the pretty girls, and simp?'-ing eelf-conscious glances would replace tl-f honest, artless interest in feminine fripperies. If the council find difficulty in finding something to do nt their meetings might I venture to suggest to that august body one or two projects that seem suitable for discussion, easily undertood, and innocuous in their effects on the prosperity of the place? ■ First, they might change the town's name. It is called after a famous merchant who lived here in the early days. He is gone now, rest his soul! He made a lot of money here; so much, indeed that the commodity has (been scarce ever since. He was descended from an anoient family of immigrants to Spain who were compelled at the time of the inquisition to add a final "n" to their name for purposes oP necessary disguise. We would lose nothing by changing the name. If ______

we put the honor of re-naming the town up to auction a tidy sum might bo realised. A few names at onoe occur to the mind;— r Grayphillipopolis South Cork J Kiillcoriakin ißlenkhorn's Bend i p | Pink's Wa.'k Gardener's Aggregation There are a score of others. (Remington has a fine, strong, robust sound and Keedlwellville would take the popular fancy. Secondly, the council might shift the township down to Wereroa, where the station is; or, as an alternative, n 6hift Bradley's stable down opposite j. the station ,to save that attentive and e reliable Jehu tlhe trouble of driving n down to meet trains when there are no y pasengers landing at Levin. n Thirdly, the council might shift Gardener's gravel-pit over to the back of j the gasworks and utilise it for a septic i cank. A fourth suggestion is the ereo;ion of a municipal smoking room for .da_ri. ladies; a fifth, the provision of. j suitable intellectual amusements for, wnun visitors on sale days, to preven li.c:;i' being a burden and-a.;Bouf?p ' ii"e.;sice.s.i to their husbands... I would ; suggest. sWing-boate,. merry-go>-£ouj(icjß,, sees-snwar, •etc., at some point,. of. (. a.glit' oi' the hotel.- : Sixthly : the in-i f augunati„n ol' a .municipal conservatoire cf music for the purpose of tunj ing in tlij Salvation Army band. ' Anyone who-knows Levini will-posily think : of' oilier "useful works ..to »go.on, ' with; after the aboVe- most. necessary j works have been carried out. . iWant; ? of imagintion on the part of the pres- ■ ent council prevents them from .seeing. i the town's crying needs., They; have . i fallen back on the Old expedient ft of. t slavish imitation of their .predecessors, t They look up the minute hook of former years. One councillor notioes an, ( item • ''street. lighting".;, ".the council ( decided to instal central lamps instead ( of .lateral onets." He immediately by a stroke of genius suggests "Let us r change them." The whole joouncil like a pack on a false scent, give tonr gue in support. , It is this blind foli lowing of precedent that is the curse of , the human race. It is that which makes the people madly follow eilly fashions; which makes nations blindly stumble into wars .like the present one. i But so long as we are led iby stupid • unimaginative people so long -will we, like sheep, be fleeced and slaughtered. After the many flattering things I have saidi about Levin people I fear to sign my true nan\e for fear they might so . far misconstrue my apparent friendliness as to attempt to borrow , £5 from me.—l am, etc. AREOPAGUS.