Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1905. AN URGENT MATTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3499, 21 March 1905, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1905. AN URGENT MATTER.

Ix another column of this issue a correspondent, '• Citizen,” writes on several matters affecting the town of Foxtnn, and we would commend the whole of the remarks to til'! careful matter, however, to which we would J more especially make reference, now is the suggested formation of a Ratepayers’ AsnoiMaiddu. Most towns .of the Colony have now some popular organisation whose.functions consist ili discovering needed rferorms in local goverptfiont methods or in the more general ways of trad? and commerce. Having found some matter redniring attention no stone *s icH. unturned to secure it belter state of affairs hv representing requirements to the body —political or commercial —in whose hands lies the possibility df a rthiiedv. So in (he. fasti nr Foxton there seems 1 at (he present tittle to .be warding a hodv of men to bring ibidef tile iioticC 1 of members of the borough council I those things which have apparently | escaned them. Such an association would also Ire eligible to discuss other matters which, While closely Concerning the welfare of the town-, are outside the province of the hofoiigli council to deal with, Bdfough councillors, We tire sure, work always in the direction of what appears to them the greatest good ; but they are not infallible, and otten they may miss the importance of reqnirerricp.i-u The j man in the street is frequently heard to declaim against (he wisdom of (hose whom he has probabfy helped to place in temporary charge of affairs 1 , out when the appovlUnity offers he is careful rtOt to undertake anvof (he onerous duties appertaining to the positions of thore who control the.destinies bf Bib town for the time being. Hut if (he man irt the street is really desirous of improving matters he should come I forth and do something more than I criticise. If he is a ratepayer he should endeavour io secure the formation, of | a more popular association in which lie could feel perhaps that he Was not environed with so much individual responsibility but that he was still contributing his share towards the general counsels. If he is not dis<posed to accept this nitiCn of his obligations as a member of the corn-j munity then we should advise him to j still the voice of criticism , and allow things to drift in the satiie old rut from which he is unwilling to make an effort to lift them. We trust, however, there are few men so absolutely lost to a sense of their duty to their fellow men as this. There are in Foxton many things which come within the scope of discussion by a Ratepayers Association | or other such body if formed, and later | on we shall return to some of these. ! Meantime we trust “ Citizen’s” sng- j gestion may lead to some definite I action being taken very soon; the \ result cannot be otherwise than j beneficial to all.