The Waipukurau Press. Friday, March 16, 1906. DEGENERATE FEATURES.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 29, 16 March 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Friday, March 16, 1906. DEGENERATE FEATURES.

Nearly all colonial country towns are afflicted with the curse of absentee ownership ; men own town property and allow it to remain in idleness and as an eyesore for years while the legitimate residents develop the place and thereby improve these absentee-owned properties. Buildings which have become mere rookeries ana vacant unfenced sections that spoil the general appearance of a town are more often than not the property of absentees, who care not. pay not, and don’t give a jot how things go so long as their beautiful properties increase in value and cost them only a trifle in rates. Many of the old disused buildings are not only wretched sights to the visitor and residents, but they are a positive danger, and have often been the cause of destruction of valuable property by fire. But these rat habitations, however, may be removed on appeal to the health authorities,.who might on representation mspect aiid condemn such, and order their removal or demolition. With regard to unfenced, weed-overgrown sections, it seems nothing can be done in the direction of compelling the owners to make improvement: they pay a few shillings in rates, and placidly await the time when they can sell the property for about double its legitimate value. Waipukurau is afflicted witu the drawback referred to, though happily not to a very great extent; enough, however, to rather seriously spoil the general appearance of the town. Still, improvements are being effected gradually, and perhaps ere long there will be less or no cause to complain of tenantless, tumble-down buildings and neglected vacant sections.