THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXVIII, 14 April 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Hospital and Chnittable Aid Board. Levies. The wisdom o£ the step taken by this district in withdrawing fro: ; Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board and joining hands with P-*d-ineriton North district has once again, been demonstrated by the notification of the levies of the various costriburing bodies»for the year IU2O-21, just to hand. These show that the nwintenar.ee levy, which worked out at is uja last year, is only 6s bid for the current year, while the capital expenditure is "now based at 7 13-36 d, a.« against tii;d formerly- The figures denoting the levies on the various' local bodiea Sec ted show the position mote eloaHy. Thls year the Horowhe-nua County Council /one of the biggest contributing bodies in the district) is assessed at a total of £1235 6= tid. as against £1441 6s 4d last year; Otaki Town Board, this year £7l ss, as against nr? as Sd: Levin Borough. £lds i f «r 'do. as against £124 5s 4d. For nvny yearpast the tendency ha? been for a steady increase in the hospital levies, therefore the substantial drop tfci- year is most welcome to the local S-odM-' joaeerned. The main eoßtrii-itttt . .or? to this decreased levy t be t hat ihft Hospital Board commence* his year with a .-tib-.tantia! suit ins. md that there has teen a new value [ ioa is the Siwites. County, which ha:-

bcon responsible for that county’s rateable value being jumped up from £1,985,417 last year to £3,382,431 —an increase of nearly a million and a-halr. It must be remembered that, in.addition to the levies set but above, the llorowhenua local bodies have also to pay a special contribution of £SOO per annum, in accordance with an arrangement made when joining the Palmerston North district. This, however, is a more bagatelle, compared with the enormous sum that we should have had to pay had we remained a part of the ■Wellington Hospital District, where the levies are about double those of Palmerston North. Ratepayers in this district are now reaping the benefit of the strenuous efforts ot .Messrs B. R. Gardener arid others who strove hard for vears to bring about the present arrangements for hospital management. The Prince’s Visit to Otaki. We hope to see every person invited present at the meeting called for tonight at the Town Board offices. Otaki, to make arrangements for the visit oi Ilis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to Otaki on May 3rd. so that the unique occasion may be fittingly and

worthily celebrated. It is unfortunate that the arrangements tor the visit so far are so uncertain. Diiliculty lias been experienced ill ascertaining exactly wliat children' wilt come to Otaki lor the occasion, and what other outside assistance may be expected, thus making it impossible to arrange matters of detail. There is little enough time to spare now, and the citizens must gei to work at once if they are to have a successful ami enthusisatic reception. Bo far as wo have been aide, lo gather, the school children 1 ioin Oliau and Manaknu are expected to come to Otaki for the occasion, awl certainly the Waihoanga and To Horo children should do likewise, whether they go to Wellington or not. If these outside centres are all represented, together with the local children, they should make a brave show. The local V;itivis fill) of whom are to assist with the Rotorua celebrations—will be back iu Otaki in time to welcome the Prince, and should be able to give very valuable assistance, while the returned soldiers from Otaki and neighbouring district should also make a good muster. The visit i- timed copy only ten minutes. It f- a very short time—possibly it may bo extended for a lew minutes —but ii will afford an excellent opportunity for all local residents—and the children in particular—of seeing our future King, and most should be made of the occasion. P the residents of the town and district work together unitedly the visit should pa.-.- oil' with great eclat, and remain a bright spot in the lives oi the children. “Pubs” and Population. Thus the “Manawat.u Times”: “In New Zealand the average number ot persons to each licensed hou-e m boroughs is 934 and in counties Sob; Rut Otaki, with a population u. largely composed of Moari- and C'li.nhas live hotel-, one to lode perMjn-.” The above is misleading, so tar as its reference to Otaki is concerned. The population of Otaki Town district this 1- a restricted area, and dors j. 1 e the whole of the town—was ~\ ver as .'it'll at la -1 ceu-us in 191 b-not 7.0 a- stated above. 1' i = incorrect ~j.„ 10 ,:iv that tin? number i- large);, composed of Maori- and Lhii-e-e. The “Tim.-”' should know that Maoris nr« nut included in the population return? quoted in the year book, though .t does include Chinese—an anomaly which we have several time- referred to. and endeavoured vainly to remove. At ki-t census there were resident in me OU*» tov.-u district some : my Cutut-e, am ar<iri oi r-vo hundred Naii\L—. wj i r- t tlm actual population of the Otaki v.,w n district in I'JlO v.a- well over It i- true that w e La ve live j.; the Otaki town area, but >f ••Time-” wished to point to a ! iu-tama; of the large number of f isla pioponion to the population. ~v t • :■■■ Kumara. the little v “.ri / , v ;,: ... borough, which, with a :• j aula-ion ot only l’” 1 y,o- .led no less than thirteen hote.-: