The Temuka Leader SATURDAY,NOVEMBER 2, 1889. TEMUKA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1964, 2 November 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY,NOVEMBER 2, 1889. TEMUKA.

Eecsnt visitors to Temuka have gone away with the impression that it is a very prosperous and progressive town. They hare noted that several houses have keen improved and enlarged, but what gives it altogether the character for substantiality is the splendid brick building which is now being erected by Mr Brown for Mr Vallender. This has attracted some attention, not be* cause of any peculiarity about itself, but because of the fact that it denotes confidence in the future of Temuka. This is exactly what it has lacked. For a long time no one seemed to have the courage of making any improvements, and consequently houseroom has become so scarce that few, if any, empty houses are to be found. A ! new era, however, has set in, and it is probable that we may soon see more buildings going up in the town. Mr Hayhurst will, we understand, build several shops as to on as he returns from. England, and some other improvements are contemplated. All this denotes a revival of confidence in the future of the place, and indeed we cannot see hew it can prove misplaced. The land surrounding, it is.second: to none in New. Zealand, and indeed jt. would not be easy to find much better in any part of the world. A town ; with such surroundings therefore ought to go ahead, more especially as a tendency to develop industries gives 9. strong proof of its existence. Temuka therefore ought in reality 'become a good sound town; and no doubt it will,, although the existence of the Fanpers’ i Co-operative -Association is, and will, act as a drawback to it. That instituI tion draws to Timaru a great deal of the trade which would otherwise have remained in Temuka, ;and this is just the reason why,thetyge store and premises lately occupied by Mr Winning are standing idle now. The cry with every one wh© has had any -notion of, opening business in that shop was that the trade had been ruined by the Co-operative store, and they could not see their way to attempt to rebuild it up.. We have heard of a gentleman who had a capital of £60,000 and would have take the stqre only for this reason. The farmers in our opinion are making a great mistake. ’ They are keeping back —in fact, destroying the towns, and consequently driving away their own customers. There can be no doubt that if they were not keeping jail their eggs in one basket the population ©f Tenjaka, Timaru, and Geraldine would have been much larger now, and these would have been con- j Burning their butter aad eggs and other farm produce, All their custom is being thrown into one shop, fiye or six men can attend to them.

and consequently the towns cannot progress as they otherwise would. We do not believe that farmers have gained anything by it. Prices would bare come down at any rate, and goods are sold now in Ashburton cheaper than in Timaru. However, it is no use arguing with farmers on this point, and now that they are mixed up in the Co-operative Society they must of course support it. There is, however, a certain amount of trade which must be transacted locally, and it is bound to increase with an increase in population 4nd production. There is another drawback to all New Zealand towns, and it is that rents are altogether too high. The owner of a tenement calculates the rent on the following basis: First, 10 per cent, on its capital value, five per cent, for depreciation, and five per cent, for repairs. This makes altogether 20 per cent., and that he calculates ought to be the rent. He never mates any repairs if he can possibly avoid it. If e know a landlord who has been receiving rent for eight years without ever having spent any money at all on the building nor allowed a penny for depreciation. Thus the exaggerated value of money in this colony has caused rents to be too high, so that a house or a shop can be rented in the most thickly populated cities in Great Britain at a lower rate than even in Temuka. These exaggerated notions, which have bebn handed down to us from the land fever of twelve years ago,, obstruct progress in all colonial towns, but Be firmly rooted are the ideas of values now that if will takp, the present generation all its time to come dowh to a more reasonable level. However, we must do the best we can under the circumstances, and no doubt everything 1 will work out right after a time. '' ,