FIRST EDITION

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 1, 16 January 1952, Page 4

FIRST EDITION

This is the first edition of the Taupo Times. The paper has been launched in the belief that with the co-operation of the people of the Taupo country, the enterprise will be successful. Whether that belief is justified remajns to be seen. Co-operation is essential. Newspapers are apt to be expensive undertakings. The long history of the Press in this and other countries is littered with the wrecks of newspaper enterprises founded on faith and high hopes, i and doomed to disaster. The Taupo counI try is a comparatively small community I reckoned by its reader population. Most of that population is concentrated in Taupo township and its immediate vicinity. The rest is scattered over a wide area, involving problems of satisfactory distribution and news coverage. These problems can only be solved with the co-operation of the people in whose Interests the Taupo Times has been founded. All indications point to a new era in the Tapo country; an era of progress and prosperity. Up to the present the Tapo region has been a back-water, a part of the rnever-never, difficult of access, with its assets limited to scenery, fishing and shooting, and climate. But though few in number these assets have combined to make the Taupo country famous within and beyond New Zealand, Its scenic attractions are wonderful. It is an anglers' jaradise, and ideal for shooting. The climate is superb, the air pure and invigorating. To these assets have been added the growth of the timber industry, and large scale plans by the Government for the development of mariy ihousands of acres, of which Taupo is the centre, and bring it into production. No longer is Taupo an 1 isolated community. Modern road transthe highways, has brought it within port and the steady improvement of easy reach of important centres at all points of the compass. Within a reasonably short period of time Taupo will have its own electricity supply for lighting and power. In short, Taupo is now quite definitely on the map. It is a logical and essential part of this development that Taupo should have

its own newspaper, dedicated to its service and the pubiic interests of the citizens. Hitherto, in regard to local news, the people of Taupo have been subsisting on gossip. This is not conducive to clear thinking, and a robust pubiic spirit. A newspaper dedicated to the publication of authenticated events and verified statements should be a valuable clearing house for the dissemination of facts as opposed to rumours, and a useful forum for the ventilation of opinions and the discussion of questions vital to the pubiic interest. The Taupo Times has been founded with these ideas in mind, but only with the co-pera-tion and assistance of the people of Taupo can these ideas be put intj practice. It must be clearly understood that the Taupo Times is not interested in party politics or in ihe ideological controversies that are at present rending the world and making general peace ircreasingly difficult of attainment. Its simple and sole purpose is to serve its community with local news. Its sole interest in ihe general government — ever party may be in power — is in what is done by way of legislation or administration which may be to the benefit or detriment of the Taupo country. It is interested in the Town Board because its members are the representatives of the Taupo people and the executors of the policy approved by them. The columns of the paper will be open to any who desire to ventilate a grievance, or express an opinion, but ngidly closed to personal attacks or vilification. So far as news services are concerned it is necessary to re-emphasise the fact that the cooperation of our readers is essential. Individuals, institutions, and clubs have been invited and be their own correspondents either by contribution of personal items and reports of social functions, or, in the case of institutions and clubs, through publicity officers appointed to act as official correspondents. Under such friendly and co-operative auspices, success should be assured, and the new paper enabled to expand its columns for the benefit of the community at large.