THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Otaki Mail, Volume XXIII, 17 December 1920, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1920. EDITORIAL NOTES.

What Otaki Wants! "Form Otaki into a borough, su J ply »ho residents with high pressir ! water supply, lighting and drainag' I and its future- ia assured—it will i> j come one of tho most popular seasio I resorts and residential town; iu tl > province; but if those things are n< done, Qtaki will remain \cry much i j it is and has been for years past. | The above remarks were expressed i ! an "Otaki Mail" representative a da ( or two ago by a, .visitor, in reply to query by the prcssmau as to what b I thought Of Otaki. The visitor added I "That is the opinion of a thorough!; j unbiassed outsider, and, I think, is • ; true statement of the position oi 1 Otaki." We may add that the vi-jto- ; iu question is a gentleman of wide a. ! perience, whose opinion ;-hould b; worth having. The remarks qnote-i above tiear out the opinion we have been endeavouring to irapre.--; on the resident" of Otaki for year* pa?t. Otaki'? future rests with ourselves. Will we make it one of progress, or stagnation? In a few weeks' time citizen--- will have aa opportunity of deciding one of the mo=t important moves bearing on the welfare of the town —whether Otaki shall be made a borough or not. The poll will be taken oa January 12th. when we hope to see every eitizen who has the interests Of the town at heart roll up and register his or her vote for progress. Once a borough is secured, it will be necessary to take steps to secure conveniences as water supply, drainage and lighting, which are absolutely necessary in any town worthy of the name.

( River Board I Fox Otain. ! It is with pleasure that •*■•> see taa: | ' settlers ia the neighbourhood of th» ! Otaki river have at least reali.-wi the necessity of combined action to iiee; the river in cheek, ana have convene-. a public meeting to consider the a f : -inability of forming a river board. Seen a board should have been £olrrc . years ago. However, better late tha:. never! The flood* of a few weeks nac: caused considerable carnage to ian; • in the vicinity of the river., and th.- j has -isd , interested. iparrje.g. rfl see! united action in- fighting the river This matter" of "river protection is > j serious one, involving considerable e-; I "to'M'pe 'with, fey? ixuKraa sals. Qi'f may SSs&rJWsy •*... ! sSSiW! -• - ;rk3 at j great cost, %•■■•! yet, r j=-i2g to the { neglect or "wilfulness 01 another, all j >■= Tvori aay be rendered ntterly nsc- | less. Then, again, groynes erected by - ore rflaa may cause tie rive? to cut in I to another naa's or&peri%, If a s«SJ ;

board were formed, settlers could coml bine to seek the best engineering ad- { vice, and by united action could tackle I the most urgent work* in a compreheaI give manner, thus effecting improveI mruis tbit VSMtM give tie iiCStTTCSViIu" I to tke greatest auuVbcr. A lo'Sn could be secured for,the purpose if necessary. It is safe to say that, with the judicious expenditure of a reasonable sum of money a few years ago, many, thousands of pounds' worth of valuable land would have been saved to Otaki farmers. The longer the matter ■. is loft the more difficult the river will thii ti' eontfo't. We lire flossed to know g*SKI if pond number of settles '.in** ' bigairied rhetr willingness iu join hands in the formation of a river board, and we trust that next Monday night's public meeting will result in the formation <"> f a board that may prove n ?re:ij_V>oojjJt; ~,;.V-A¥MU--3.J:.'i.-', j properties art' affected by the Otaki ] riv,:r " ~ UOs, Names of Streets. Wrong names of certain Otaki streets arc commonly applied. At last j night's meeting of the Otaki Towa ' Board a letter was received from Sirs | Simcox suggesting that the correct ! names of two well-known streets- fo '• Kauparaha street and Waerenga iioad i —should be adhered to, instead; oi i allowing such names as Convent road j and Jubilee road to becomo commciilj • obadrved. The Board agreed with th« j spirit of the letter. The matter oi j erecting names of all streets was dis '• cussed, but left in abeyance. Thi j only a small matter, but we think *>u I Board should take steps to have tin • proper names of streets erected, :t ! once a name comes into common ust i J is difficult to alter it, and in the crni I of the two roads referred to the cm rect names arc certainly rr.acb pr«i.