A WESTPORT DON QUIXOTE.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 September 1901, Page 2

A WESTPORT DON QUIXOTE.

Ouk contemporary, the Westport News, has had a very bad attack of “ Greyfobia,” and accuses the Grey people and Grey pfess of slandering and generally misstating the abilities of the Duller as a coal port. We have no acquaintance or knowledge of any such feeling existing here. The Greymouth folk generally attend to their own business, and take no heed of Westport or its bar. It may be selfish, but all the same it is a fact that we are more interested in our own concerns than in what concerns Westport. If our mind for a few brief moments is attracted to the existence of the Duller as a coal port it is generally with a feeling that it might grow and prosper. It has been hinted during the past few days that there was a probability of the Government buying the Coal Creek and Point Elizabeth coal mine and working it as a State concern. In common with others in this district we have expressed the Government would see its way to do this, but have never ventured to express a word for or against the Duller as a field for State coalworking. Yet our irate contemporary after extolling the coal “measures of the Duller—which we don’t object to ; and traducing our port and coal—which we can well afford to laugh at, brings his rather bilious attack to an end as follows :—“ In conclusion, we should state that we should not have brought out so forcibly the defects in the Greymouth projects were it not for the fact that we consider both papers in that district are resorting to unfair tactics in order to obtain their ends. Their line of argument appears to be ‘ Let us denounce the Duller district’s mine and harbour, and extol the advantages—imaginary—of those in the Grey district.’ ” Our contemporary has taken the trouble to set up a pasteboard target duly marked “ Greyfobia,” and then with childish delight knocked jt over, and rubbed Poor Greymouth in imaginary mire. The task has doubtless delighted our contemporary and hurt no one ; why, therefore, spoil his infantile amusement-?