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Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1919, Page 2

The Government is not losing any opportunity to fortify itself for the major attack on the timber industry when the elections are past. If at that crucial time Sir F. D. Bell’s policy is affirmed, the sawmilling industry and those connected with it, will strike trouble in which the past difficulties will be trivialities. Incidentally the local bodies will be minus a large amount of revenue which the Government will appropriate to its own use. Although these cliang ing conditions are impending, opinion on the Coast so much interested in the matter, is silent. Ministers are pushing through measures this session which indicate that the Forestry Department is going to take complete possession of the timber industry and divert it with all the restrictions theorists can evolve, to say nothing of pinching prices in royalties. Last week when Mr Seddon rose n protest i n the House, there was very little sympathy from Air Massey, for the industry or the local bodies, and it is clear that, gaining the mastery of the situation, the Government Will before very long exercise a very pernicious control. There has heel’ some objection raised in a corpora 1 " way, hut it did not go far eronp was it open and frank enough. The matter was important enough to or

taken to the personal attention of tin Premier in a- public way, and p'neing the actual situation before him publicly look for that degree of reasonable assistance expected for an industry which can he of such value to the country in its reasonable development, and in

meting the request to he heard on all sides that the country must needs produce lrior eand more t ocarry on and reduce the burden it is now bearing.

r>t— ’ one ora mi, {lie ..'nblie AVor.cs Estimator: time very unsatisfactoiv to AVcstland. **nie.y ;ri regard to trK.ve-e fo" Tourri* and Health Resorts. Despite the special attractions of the West Coast from a tourist point of view, out of an estimated sum of £51,300 required for tourist and health resorts, there is not a vote appropriated for Westland. Rotorua, as usual figures largely and some idea id how the eggs are being stored in a single basket, can be guaged from the fact that of the total vote above re-

ferred to, over £35,000 is ear-marked for Rotorua. If the. locality had no natural attractions to begin with, for the vast expenditure sunk in the locality now somo sort of a specality might have been carved out of nature. The bulk of the money goes to the North Island, less than £5.000 of the grand total being set aside for the South Island, and not a vote for AA r estland. Tin’s studied neglect of the natural fea-

tures of Westland by the Tourist authorities has been remarked upon before. The Government appears to have done so much for other places that something might be spared for this district. But whether because of the isolation, or the indifference of the authorities, there is nothing hut cold neglect. At Rotorua all kinds of expenditure is provided for from hot, water sorvices to a tclepliono line, hut lieie not even a pedestrian track can he made to open up locations of particular value from a scenic point of view or outlook. Tho neglect of the special attractions of the district has been ’ c_ I marked upon before, and presumably I while tho Government has on its hands j the expensive and jjostly centres like Rotorua to maintain and further mag- I nify tho natural beauties of AA cstland will be left to bloom and blossom unseen. Some day the glones of AAestland will he “discovered by a live office,. of the Department, and then th> district will come into its own.