The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1919. BUSINESSMEN GETTING BUSY.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 June 1919, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1919. BUSINESSMEN GETTING BUSY.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino -~ News.”

iUpWards of two years ago this journal drew pointed attention to the urgency for stopping the calamitous drift of people off the land into cities; for a year or more ours was ‘a voice Crying in the wilderness, not so at the present moment, for one of the most important subjects to be discussed at a conference of Chambers of Commerce to be held in Wellingt_on, is that of turning the drift townwards back to the country. The resolution to Ibe submitted statcs:——“ln order to vigorously carry‘ out a policy of closer settlement of rural lands-, so vital to the best interests of the Dominion, the Government be urged To establish in each province standard advisory committees consisting of representatives of local bodies, farmers’ unions, and Chamber of Commerce,” and, inter alia, thatbstlitable dwellings be erected for country workers, village settlements‘ be established, and there is also‘ some mention of garden settlement, town-planning and such like, It has taken a -longtime "for" towndwellers to become convinced that population without production is of little value to their ibusinesses; they have dropped the brag about incr'-ya-,-ed population and turned their attention to production of those essentials whereby all in this Dominion may live and prosper. We are drawing nearer to a practical consideration of the hue and cry about more production. No doubt, leaders of Chambers of Commerce have received the “wink” from political chiefs that this vital matter can no longer be delayed, or all must suffer from thepslump that is evident. Chambers of Commerce have been aroused from the lethargic encephalitis they have been afflicted with to a realisation that calamity us at their doors, and no time must be wasted in preparing the Way, as forerunners, for the politicals who must be provided with some pretext for taking lands for closer settlement and greater pro» duction. Now that the bone fidc business community is getting busy on the closer settlement and increased production problems we have hopes ‘of somthing being accomplished, notwithstanding the fact that we feel sure they will encounter greatest opposition from those they should receive greatest support from. Few towns are suffering from the drift of

settlers off the land, and the want of

closer settlement and increased production, more than Taihape, but we have not yet heard of any discussion of. these subjects by the local Chamber .of Commerce. It stood to Tai. hapes’ credit that .it did possess a Chamber of Commerce with a vitality and at numerous membership not equalled in much larger centres of population, :but, although there could be no time in the toWn’s history more than the present when the -services of such a body might render incal?:ulably greater help in furthering what the Wellington Conference has put its hand to, there seems to be no move whatever. Why‘ not’?