THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1908. ADVANCE MASTERTON!

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9061, 9 April 1908, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1908. ADVANCE MASTERTON!

Masterton has reached a stage of progress in which it becomes it to insist upon recognition as one of the most important provincial centres in the dominion. If our Chamber of Commerce were fully alive to what ha 3 been done in the recent past and what is possible of achievement in the near future, it would take steps to advance the interests of the place in a way that has not yet been attempted. The people, too, should see to it that every effort is made to keep "our end of the stick up"—as the saying goes—whenever an opportunity offers. There can be no doubt that IVfasterton is destined, sooner or later, to be a great provincial centre, the capital of a great inland industrial district; but the time can be hastened by the careful watching of its interests and the constant advocacy of everything that may tend to bring the town and district into due prominence. The fault in the pasthas been that the people, or those institutions which represent the people, have been somewhat "mealy mouthed" in setting forth the capacities and necessities of the place. Modesty is a very excellent quality under certain circumstances, but whero the interests of a community are concerned it is apt to be attributed to dullness or lack of enterprise, and to be appraised accordingly. It is modesty, or something else as undesirable, that permits our

trains to be run at a tantaliaingly slow pace between Masterton and the capital; it is due to a like cause that we have one of the most antiquated and inefficient telephonic services in the dominion; still to a similar cause may it be attributed that we have no easy access to the sea coast at the mouth of thft VVhareama, and no tourist seaside resort in that delectable locality. Other advantages which we lack are to be set down to this same modesty, or to indifference, which amounts to the same thing. That the town is prosperous, and has a prosperous district surrounding it, is an undeniable fact; but it is to this fact the apathy of the people is largely to be referred. Prosperity is apt to produce inertness in public matters, but it must not be forgotten that inertness in its turn becomes the enemy of prosperity. Apart from the question of shifting the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Show from its present site to Solway, bow many local or district matters of importance have occupied the serious attention of the community of late? Scarcely one has attracted more than passing notice; mostly all of them, when brought forward, have fallen flat. This is a fact; which is to be deplored, and we would fain see new life infused into the townspeople, and those in the neighbourhood of the town who have business relations with it. If we are loyal to ourselves, nothing should be left unattended to which can be made use of to further the well-being of Wairarapa's capital and the district of which it is the centre. One movement is on foot at the present tiir.3 which should give Master ton an opportunity of showing something of its quality to the rest of the dominion. It ia a subject to which we have already made brief reference. A proposal,, emanating from Christchurch, is that an exhibition shall be held in various parts of New Zealand to encourage the purchase and consequent increasad production of New Zealand-made commodities, in preference to imported articles. The object is an admirable one. Auckland, JDunedin, Wellington and Christchurch are taking the matter up in earnest. This project is to be known as the "New Zealand Industrial Week," and the alternative proposals are three in number —(1) That there be simply a shop window display; (2) a shopwindow display in conjunction with a collective exhibition in a hall; (3) an exhibition in a hall only. Either one or the other of these methods of display is to be adopted; but, so far, a shop-window display appears to be most favoured. In the circular that has been issued, provincial towns are not referred tc, but that is no reason why they should not seek to come into the schenre. Indeed, it is a distinct reason why they should bestir themselves so that the cities may not throw them entirely into the background. In many departments of sport this district has shown prowess superior to any other district in the dominion, and we believe in some branches of industry it could also show itself superexcellent. It is worth trying at any rate, and whatever the result from a meritorious point of view, it would indubitably benefit both industries and district. We hope the Masterton people will favour the movement, a::d seek to take part in "New Zealand's, Industrial Week."