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Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1920, Page 2

There lin,s been a feeling abroad for a long time past that sooner or Jg,ter the industrial troubles of the country will be brought to a h/ead and the couptry will be face to face with something in the nature of a national strike. The why and the wherefore are nob explained, but there is the feeling abroad, and it is being expressed very plainly in commercial circles whence the best information of tlie centres is obtainable. At the time of the Qfj.nl shortage and the railway “cut” last year, it was believed the Dominion was on the brink of an industrial upheaval, but the approach of the general elections was supposed to have bad a steadying effect. Tlie opinion is being circulated again that tho general strike is in the air, jijid those who are wise to the possibility are advising their business clients to prepare for the period of tho struggle by laying in supplies. The opinion is expressed that, (transport generally will be greatly dislocated, and that the struggle will not he of brief duration. If there is any foundation to a belief of tliis nature it is a thousand pities. Such a struggle can do nothing hut harm to the community generally, and the worst siiiferers will bo the most innocent of nil. It would appear that the Government should come out boldly into tlie open and decare an uncompromising policy agaisst the strike attitude. The Government is strong enough for this, and early and sound advice to the general public would go a. long wn(y. At tho same time the Government must be no less open and fair in a generous offer to hear and determine all grievances to be put forward. There arc matters to bo righted, of

course, for the blame cannot be all on one side, and where the parties show no inclination to come together and instead are disposed to penalise the whole community, it is the duty of the Government in the interests of all to step into the ring and take charge of the negotiations. We must have law and order, and whose essentials of social freedom and liberty can be maintained by upholding authority in constitutional ways. Now is the time for the Government to act, before the situation drifts too far. The Government and local bodies, to say nothing of the unfortunate individual sufferers from time to time, have their hands very full with flood damages and river protection; and the present is a time when in this locality

mere ait? ucimuiua vi nature calling for attention. The West Coast generally has the main mountain range so adjacent to its sea coast that to carry the storm water from the snow peaks, rivers and rivulets are very numerous. Under normal conditions the streams are maintained very easily in their natural water course, but with abnormal rainfall and melting snow, the rivers rise unduly, overflow their banks and carry great quantities of debris seaward. This debris, or so much of it as is left in tlie river, has its effect as time goes on in uplifting the bed of the water course, with the result that for each succeeding flood the water overflows more and more, as the stream builds itself up. The shorten the run of the stream the quicker il builds itself up, arid there are manj notable examples of water courses be ing so built up to the detriment of the adjacent lands. It is difficult to cope effectively with this natural process ol transference of material which is firsi eroded and then redeposited to create mi additional nroblem. Or rather it i

be same problem of protection renaer;d a little more difficult, There are many-cases of this nature in Westland, md the task of grappling effectively with them is a very difficult one. Each casp is varied by fhe local circumstances, but all present a very costly undertaking. So much dairying and pastoral land is in danger of loss or destruction nowadays that v the Government should be urged to create a special board to deal with such matters. Experienced officers could be allotted to the work , which must be faced nationally, and not piecemeal, if permanent work is to be done. The position calls for exceptional treatment in a large way, and in that direction the Government should have a staff to give the best engineering advice possible to obtain £he best value for Hu? expenditure npcfispary.