WELCOME TO UPPER HUTT.

Upper Hutt Weekly Review, Volume I, Issue 5, 17 January 1936, Page 3

WELCOME TO UPPER HUTT.

The Editor, Sir A correspondent -writing to the "Review" a fortnight ago advocated a slogan such as "Welcome to Upper Hutt." Sir, before dealing with this matter, permit me to congratulate you on your enterprise in providing this district with a newspaper of its own. I notice also that it is a registered newspaper. It is good for a district to have its own paper. It gives business people an opportunity to keep their wares always before the public and tends to keep the money in the district. Again, the news, though only small at present, is good reading. The paper is clean, devoid of all scandal, and I feel sure, Sir, that as time goes on so will your paper become a valuable asset to Upper Hutt. Now, Sir, re the above slogan, before -we start erecting "Welcomes" let us look facts in the face and see what we have to offer. Let us suppose we are coming to the Upper Hutt for the first time. What is the first impression -we get on leaving the station ? We notice a huge dump full of all sorts of tins and rubbish. I can hear someone say, "Yes, but that's railway property." Granted, but if the authorities had been approached by the Council by the usual manner of approaching Government departments some arrangement, I feel sure, could have been arrived at. Why, Sir, the unemployed have grubbed enough turf off the streets in Upper Hutt to have filled it up twice over. Now let us go a little further and look at the road from the station. This, the very road that should be tar-sealed and the footpaths on both sides kept up to date, is among the worst in Upper Hutt. A good approach to any city or town gives visitors a good impression of the place. A dirty, uneven, bad one just gives the reverse impression. Why does the Council not make streets, and this street in particular—the main entrance to and from the railway station—more inviting to visitors, and also residents ? It is beyond every right thinking man and woman. Another item of interest that greets us and facing main streets is the work of old Mother Nature endeavouring- to cover up eyesores with blackberry and other natural gi-owth. Your correspondent says the Council is doing very well with the

funds at its disposal. Well, Sir, it seems that all the Council is endeavouring- to do is reduce the bank draft at all costs. I venture to say, Sir, that the Council could easily spend one thousand pounds on works in the district, which would provide work and improve the district in readiness to erect "Welcome." Most certainly we have a glorious park, but some day a Council will acquire the park and put a swimming bath in it; then it will become a most wonderful asset to the Borough. We have at least one Councillor, Mr. Purvis, who certainly gets things done, and I know he has many worthy supporters, but there is much more to be done. Let us make our Borough as attractive as possible, then advertise it as one of the finest week-end resorts for visitors to come to. Wishing your paper every success, and I trust that all business people will realise its -worth as a good advertising- medium,—Yours, etc., PROGRESS. [Our correspondent will notice the omission of a paragraph relating to private property which we do not think wise to publish.— Ed.]