THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1920. FUTURE OF MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, 29 March 1920, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, MARCH 29, 1920. FUTURE OF MASTERTON.

That Masterton is destined to become one of the most flourishing inland centres in the Dominion is now assured. Thanks to the pluck and enterprise of those who established the frozen meat industry in the district, we arc developing with a rapidity which is little short of phenomenal. The decision to establish woollen mills, soapworks, and other subsidiary industries in cononeetion with the freezing works has created a wide field for future development. Already it has been decided to erect a "garden city" a mile or two south of the borough. This will accommodate four or five hundred people, and a flourishing Suburb will- spring up in the neighbourhood of the Waingawa River. This fact should induce our civic authorities to devote prompt and serious attention to two or three important matters. In the first place, an effort should be made to have electricity installed in the borough as speedily as possible, so that it would be available for lighting in the suburb. Then the question of providing means of transit in the township must'be considered. This will depend largely upon the provision of electric current. The Borough Council sltould submit proposals to the ratepayers for either storage battery 'buses or electric tramways. The preliminary measures cannot be take too soon, for it is necessary that we should have everything in readiness when the electric power is available. Further, the, desirability of bringing tho southern suburb into the borough should bo discussed, so that it might receive the advantage of our drainage and water system. The whole of these matters are of considerable importance to Alio business community of the borou&hr They should form the subject of .discussion by the Progressive League, • the Chamber of Commerce, • aud the v ßorough Council* The transit, lighting/; and other facilities should extend a.s,-the township expands, and not be avowed to wait for decision in the years; to come. It does' not require a severfe stretch of the imagination to see the population of Masterton and its jfevirons increased to 10,000 or within the next five years. What ara:wc doing to pre- ( pare for the influx,s? people? How are we going to catei?for the garden suburb and the growiig population in the southern end oft the town! We must get busy if we aic going to meet tho civic requirement