The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1919 WHAT MAKES A TOWN.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 February 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1919 WHAT MAKES A TOWN.

(Witii wHicji is incorporated 'VtnijMtape Pout uad Walarail-jo News).

In recent years the importance of town planning has increasingly been recogised by all classes of people, and wherever there are coinmujiitjeb in the embryo or Tmiiprent srt&gfc a jiian covering all future extension* is adopted and followed. In the future there are to be no allies and courts it is not practicable to maintain in a sanitary condition; everything in town construction, so far as is reasonably possible, must now contribute towards perfection in the town-planning scheme; there must be provision for ample air space and the unsightly in streets and structures ; are not permitted. In older towns whole areas of ramshackle buildings, rows of insanitary hovels, have -wiped right out and new wide streets of a healthful and more beautiful character have replaced them. Taihape, as has been the experience in other communities, has reached the crossways of its progress, and there is not a ratepayer, however averse ht> may be to increasing his rate burden, who will not admit that Iffrme thing has to oe done tot ward? turning the rigHt corner. It is ! fully recognised that in a town of two thousand people the local authority cannot continue to regard and to manage streets as though they were country roads, and footpaths as though they were ditches slurting th'em on either side. 'Any set of horough councillors who, now that the war has ended, so continues to patch streets with a load of dirt here and there will be told that they must either move on or move out. There can be no two opinions about the principle business thoroughfare of the town being discreditable to its people; recognising their responsibilities borough councillors called in the services of a consulting engineer and authorised him to rej port on what he considered should be done to rescue the chief thoroughfares from their disgraceful condition, to j render .tbem more sightly and attractive, and to recommend a street-form-ing scheme that would make frequent repairs quite unnecessary in the future. Whatever else, in addition, Taihape needs there can be no question about, the desirability of rendering the business centre more attractive to prospective customers of businc** bouses. Some shopkeepers fcavo demonstrated the truth of this contention by constructing footpaths of asphalt fronting their establishments at their own expense, if tß~W#!t mat businessmen should keep in hund the fact that their businesses must flourish or languish as tbe town progresses Or stagnates. Then, their chief, or ono aim should be first, to attract people to the town, and, secondly, to make provision for housing tbem when they do come. Tim people of the whole clviTlsed world exists upon business of o~ne character or another; in whatever part of the earth one travels he cannot get away from artistically displayed shop windows; they are the businessman's draw to entice people into his shop. Notably in those towns that possess all the attractions that modern townbuilding has caused "to bo evolved, fine buildings, sightly, Well-made, clean streets, we encounter the most prosperous bus>*ess houses and businessmen. The town must have its means to attract as well as the shops that line its streets. What is the situation in Taihape, and what are businessmen of Taihape doing, or contemplating, about reforming 'the country roads they call streets? How frequently one bears the remfirk, "The roads arc good enough for me." That is the voice of stagnation and thoughtlessness. The very fact "that businessmen improve the appearance and conveniences of their business establishments as their progress permits, and that, since history began to be written, communities improved their towns as it became possible, demonstrates to completeness that such improvements have but one aim, and that -is still further improvement. Why, is the last

word in architecture employed in the • erection of huge churches and cathed-j rals. which are fitted with organs re-1 presenting the highest skill in. the art of musical instrument building? It is simply to attract the people; it is the same principle in action. We have j ample experience in Taihape that i people cannot he preached to if J they cannot" he drawn together; we ; also have the experience that the volume of business that might be done cannot be done because our town lacks the attractions to draw people to it. In older settled countries towns vie, compete, with each other in attracting people; but Taihape businessmen seem content to stand at their country village doors and see orders for goods going to more attractive towns through post offices There is now no question about Taihape being destined to become a large distributing centre. This fact is officially recognised, but is it to be in our day, or is it to be after the present generation have passed away? Our homcs7"our private houses and residential areas, depend upon the business that is transacted in the business thoroughfares'; business must improve and increase or we certainly cannot afford to spend money on home comforts and luxuries. What we mean is that the businessman's home must improve with his "" business, not his business with his home, that is the logical connection of borne with business. Anything that attracts the at--1 tention of country people and draws them into town must increase the j town's volume of business, and, as a corollary, it increases the value of property, land and houses; any betterment of the town is a betterment of the people. A man of natural business ability recently remarked to us that he couldn't do a good business in such rotten premises. His remark explains the situation with respect to Taihape; it cannot be a first-class business centre, people are not attracted by its country roads called streets, and shopkeepers should the busi< ness that should be done" cannot be so long as the "rotten'/" conditions continue. It seems imperative that steps should be taken, v not only to improve the appearance of' the town and to provide better roads and footpaths to encourage pedestrians to use them, but j also to institute some practicable scheme for increasing facilities for bousing the people.. It"has been said that present, house-owners do not favour any housebuilding scheme because I they fear it would tend to reader their j properties less profitable, but it is al most unthinkable that any sane man J could have expressed such ar> opinion. I Is it not apparent..' it) larger towns and 1 cities that the greater the population the more valuable the land becomes? We say that if those who own land in Taihape wish to keep down values as long as they possibly can they should i go on discouraging the growth of population, nothing wff! do It more effectually. To increase population there are three things absolutely essential. They are a town improvement scheme, rating on unimproved values, and the adoption of statutory provisions for erecting housing accommodation for surplus population.