Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNK 23rd, 1917. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 June 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JUNK 23rd, 1917. THE WEEK.

Witun the first accounts of the Battle of Afessines were received, nnu the New Zealanders wore extolled to the highest for their remarkable military exploits, it was, realised that there could be no victory without loss, no gain without pain. During the week the casualties have been coming through and bringing home to many a family in Hi© Dominion the saddest side of the war. Tlio-Now Zealanders performed a great teat in achieving the victory they won, and the fact that so many officers fell in performing the highly praised task, shows how won the men were led. The bereaved and the. distressed by the toll of war have the sympathy of this young nation in their loss and trouble. Wo have to remember that our young men went forth cheerfully t-o war. The call of the .Empire was answered in asplendid spirit, and they,, in common with the rest of the British Army, when the moment of supreme tost came, wont forward gallantly to what was before thorn, l’hoso who fell died a glorious death, yet how true was the poet’s thought that “tho path of glory loads but, to tho giave.” Withal, thoso who lay down their lives in this great war do not die in vain- They dio for a principle and a cause, which time will justify, and their sacrifice can never be forgotten. A for-evor-gratoful peoplo must embalm in thoir memories the deeds of these young men who axe sacrificing life itself that we may live and move in that freedom we have enjoyed always. Without tho supreme sacrifice of those heroes, our liberties would melt away, and we should bo under tli© heel of a ruthless enemy. Honour those who have fallen, and succour and help the bereaved in this time of' greatest trial.

Xhk little unpleasantries which have passed of late within the walls of the local Court, have been tho subject of some newspaper comment. No doubt whatever the differences are, the authorities will straighten them out, and do what ia right and proper in the

end. It would appear, however, that i a very, small matter has been ipagni- , fiod quit© beyond its importance. A ; chance remark was the vital spark j which started a fairly large coiiflagra- i tion. There was probably betwixt all , something to cause the instant igni- ; tion, and to bring about tho full blaze, l There is not any occasion for us to : refer to the case itself in any detail, because with the publicity now attending it the matter will, doubtless, ; become on© for Ministerial decision, j But we do not think the whole matter was gone about in a very undignified manner. The Magistrates of this country of late, thank goodness, have shown that they possess backbone, andi in- view of the dignified standthat some of them took on matters of the great- j est moment to the common weal, it does seem disappointing that now over | a very trivial master which might I have been settled with five minutes | talk and explanation, the whole digni- j fty of the Court should b© brought into disrepute by what appeared to be a personal eruption of temper. Whether, as wo say, ther© was something underlying '- ,e whole matter, or not, wo can n ot say, but wo do say the point (t-o which it has now been carried is not in keeping with the dignity and usual conduct of our reputable courts.

The excellence, of tho return published in, regard l to (the lime desposit at Ross is -very gratifying. One surprising fact is that in t-ho publication oi Mr McTaggartt’s telegram in the •northern press (lie analysis was carefully omitted. Wo <lo„. not know whether this was intcJided ns a special injustice to Ross, but surprise must bo expressed certainly a-t the suppression of figures which are of particular moment in considering the agricultural valuo of tho respective deposits. That at Ross approaches 95 per cent of pure lime, and w© are informed by the principal explorer of the Russ find that he has since discovered stone in th o vicinity which will give an even better retur,u. Also, tliero i» no doubt as to tho quantity of excellent stone available in th© locality. Access is good and can bo. perfected very cflie-aply. Tflie situation 1 of the kiln would be but a little °™r « mile from tho Ross railway station. The conditions for tile southern enterprise appear to he wonderfully ideal, and it seems to require now o n ly the confirmation of Mr McTaggart’s definite report to go ahead with the undertaking. With the object of giving settlers the commodity as cheaply ns possible it would bo best for the local bodies to combin© in the management of the undertaking. The capital cost involved is not large, and there is not any financial difficulty in the way of making an immediate start. The local success depends entirely on tho management, and if a capable manager can bo secured nature’s bountiful supply of limestone at Ross should bo turned to profitable use without delay.

Hokitika sportsmen are to bo congratulated upon the ready manner in which they rose to meet tli© wishes of tho Government by making a sacrifice of racing days for patriotic purposes. Th(> following table shows how the Coast has met the position and complied with the one-third reduction for

Kuinara and Karamea each elected t° j cease racing during the continuation of 1 the war. The other reductions weie voluntary. In the cas© of Hokitika, while it loses 50 per cent- of its days for the coining season,it will he entitled the following year to a day a-t present allotted t° Reef ton. Nels„.i and Westport are both the best siyvea of the Coast, and ar,> lucky to find tliefnselves so well treated. The. pub-lic-who arc so well catered for un tho Hokitika racecourse, and tho owners who have bencfitted by the lead Hokitika gave in the matter of increased stakes, will probably not think that tho best arrangement has ' been made. But it is war times, and sacrifice had to be made, and it )«_,not surprising to find Hokitika willing to make it.

A correspondent yesterday touched on the vital question of the cost o. living. In v ie W of war conditions there is not a matter of more importance affecting the people to-day, the subject is one awaiting urgent review by Parliament. The plight, of Britain now is an example of which Lord Northcliffe is urging the United States-to act'promptly in the control ol food. ’lbis control must come to pass here, too, or the National Government will find its services very much at a discount:' at the first opportunity th© public have of expressing their wishes. We have tho Board of Trade, hampered by Ministerial control, toying with the question, and tho position in which it stands as a result, only emphasises the necessity for clean cut action. cost of living is mounting up, and the Govornment are content to speak platitudes and do nothing. Because of this the correspondent ia quit© justified in expressing his personal opinion, and what he lias said, we aro persuaded is but th© echo of the thoughts of many other people. The local instances referred to by our correspondent do not cover the ground. The farmers who may be' deriving cnhancou profits by their trading to-day aro not t« ho blamed for the position. Tho blame must rest entirely with the Government, which has failed in its duty to grapple with the food supply problom. Tho sott-lors who by tho sacrifice of thoir oarly life in opening up the country in tho face of enormous difficulties, need not b© begrudged some little comfort in their later life when their ship has com© -in-—but their profits at- his stags should he regulated.

We know of courso, that supply and demand does not com© in nowadays in tho ( regulation of prices. Prices are mainly fixed by tho last rato in tho world’s markets.—irrespective of what the local supplies or demands might be.. Take butter for instanoe. Th© cool stores are crowded to excess with butter, f which cannot be exported for the want 1 of ships, but though there is the excess ’ supply in New Zealand, the oommodity is not getting any cheaper. In Victoria

where there an actual scarcity -of butter, the retail salo price ranges three penco per pound lower than in New Zealand with its huge supplies for export. The war iB going to enforce many changes, and the cost of living must of necessity bo one of the first matters touched. This is a’ matter affecting the masses, who in turn have the making and the unmaking of the Governments. For a long time the issue has been put off. The Liberals began to take the matter up, but not earnestly enough.* They relegated the question to a Royal Commission which moved slowly, ahd before their report was to hand, the Liberals w'ero out of office. But the issue still remained, and then when the fusion of parties was brought about, the Liberals managed to get the Board of Trade set, up, but the performances of that promising body have been regulated by Ministers or Cabinet with the result that alter all this marking time, nothing has now been reached. Unless food prices are regulated their effect is going to operate adversely on the country as a whole, with the war dragging on, and the Second Division about to bo called up, there will be an insistent and undeniable demand for larger pay, bigger concessions to dependants, increased pensions. The large army of civil servatns and State employees will be seeking for increased pay or bonuses to meet the cost, of living, and so the effect will rebound to the direct liability of the State. There is no doubt if the country is to face tho future with a contented people, there must be control and regulation of food prices, and legislation to prevent spoeluation or tho cornering of food supplies to the detriment of the resident population. New Zealand can produce a great overplus of food, and the people within its confines will be entitled to demand such control of the exports that staple commodities will not he allowed to soar to unreasonable heights, which are likely to unduly increase the cost of living of those, who as part of the Commonwealth, are contributing their lives to the well being of the country at large, hut it is plainly the trend of events in tho great demoora cies in the Western Hemisphere.

th(t year: — Deduo RemainPlace: Pays: lion: ing: Grey mouth ... 8 3 ' .5 Reef ton ••• .... 4 1 0 Hokitika .. .... 4 2 2 Nelson .... 3 0 3 Westport ,. ... 3 0 3 i -Kumnra ... .... 1 1 Karamea .. .... 1 1 0 24 8 lb