Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th 1920. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th 1920. THE WEEK.

It iva.s not a very cheerful item of news' published foi,s week that it would be three years yet before t.Jifi Otira tunnel was in running order. Three y«jtrs, and in May, 1908, Sir Joseph Ward fired “the first shot” of a contract which was to complete f,ho great work in 1913! Here we fire in 1929, and ptjjl three years to gol! So that jf foe '.estimate is fulfilled the five years’ job wiff have taken 15 years. Truly New Zealand is ft “go-slow” country. The Dominion does not show the hustle in the matter of public works flint United States or Canada do. New .Zealand prates a good deal about “leading Um world,” but our record in building railways does pot shine in that category. Once upon a tin\fi f% country did rise to the occasion and show go/pe bustling effort; that was when tile Afofo Tfo n fe railway in the North Island had to be speeded up for ,a special purpose. Then bv a process of concentration and organisation in which the enyinegjr« were given ft free hand, the miracle came to pass and the rai/wuy was finished actually ahead of jtime 'flit accelerated speed was worth while, and so it is n,eye#sary now jn flip eft sp of Otira. Op the East Coast, building js languishing; for jtbriber which is waiting on the lyesf Cpasjt skjds for transport by sea, ip ft. fe ; w weeks winter will be upon the country, and East Coast folk will he freezing lor the ivap; of coal which cannot he got from the West ffoast for the lack of ’

transport facilities, Industries and lighting concerns arc hampered ww yn fuel. Yet if the East anti West Coasts were linked by rail the drawbacks would disappear Fuel in plenty would be available for ujl parts yf file South Island served by rail, svpjle building material would be available to meet SIJ (kupa/ids of the market. Shipping would lye saved, and tile bottoms would then bo available to serve the North Island more efFoctii'ely, and so all parts, of New Zealand wmiid .benefit materially by the transformation flip .cpynplction of' the tumid would effect.

this of course is the obvious, that is, obvfmi/j to everybody but the Government. We urn persuaded that the Government docs not. r«tiJisc the potentialities of the position, otherwise the administration would be in duty bound to seo that the public works and public services were ordered for the benefit of the people as a. whole. Tlip tupne] is a great public work. Sir Wni. Frflser professes over and over again that he is an advocate for the completion of the line, and takes credit to himself that the work was kept going; during the war period when other influences were at work to stop progress. If the Minister realised the position at its true worth, ' and he had the power within himself to decree tin.- f;\j:c of the work, then it appears it matter fty regret for his own reputation, (apart from .the value of tlio undertaking to the country), that lie did not. rise completely to the occas- ' ion and order the completion of tho tunnel at all costs. Instead matters have dallied along at a snail’s paee i the money sunk in ilia venture “eating its head off” in interest charges because of the unproductive nature oif. the present. expenditure till trains are running. The most direct charge of maladminis- , trillion in respect to the Otira tunnel works seems to he in regard to tho provision of tho power to maintnn the through truffle. Here we are nearly twelve, years since the job was started, , and tho power for the line is still in a nebulous state. There is a talk of a steam plant to develop the power in a country of great hydro-eloctrio possi-

bilities. The Public Works Depart-1 ment during all these years has been hybernating. A new Minister of Public I Works must step into office very soon, j The Otira tunnel project will be an im- j mediate test of his capabilities and his vision. If ho is to be the man of action | the country wants just now, the three j years mentioned for the completion of he work could easily be cut down by one-third. The influenza is again endemic. There are several hundred cases in New Zealand, the number showing a steady increase, week by week all through last month. The visitation is not in anything like the acute form as marked , November of 1918. The pneumonic j cases are considerably less, and much reduced in severity. No doubt the people are more alive to the situation now than formerly, and the risks are not being taken. The people have, been forewarned, and they have the past experience to go on. In cases of'mild attack patients now seek medical advice much earlier, and do not await developments—which was so fatal previously. They do not leave so much to chance in that rpspecj, though in the matter of crowding together in buildings or at gatherings the public are as ready to congregate as ever, In addition the authorities are showing greater vigilance. This of course is very commendable |and it has: the benefit of im-

pressing the people as a whole, and making them mindful of their personal responsibilties. In regard to the Epidemic the people can help themselves very much by carrying out the simple direction and the advice given by the , Public Health Department. A visitation of this character spreads very rapidly, and though it cannot be effectively check ed, its consequences cap he greatly ipinmised by to the simple directions made public from time to time. The present appears to be the subsiding wave of the great visitation which lias passed over the world in repetition of previous visitations. The faculty predicted that the wave would come, and

this is now bniftg manifested, though it is satisfactory to realise that it is in a much milder form, and with the experience of thy pant, iinfj t'hf ! 1( > lc ! tllc aU ‘ thorities are taking of the positii/p, it should not approach by any pieaps tire magnitude of the Epidemic which was at its disastrous height some fifteen months ago .

It i» only to be expected that the Allied demand for the w' a F criminals for a trial for their despicable deeds done under cover of the war, should be disturbing to Germany and its political leaders. Terrorist!) was the trump card of Germany to win the wai. Jt began to play the card from the >ei,\ outset of" fbe campaign and som.e of the infamous deeds vrhjph vyjll li.ve longest in history to the discredit of ffSTiiiany were done on the very threshold fjf the war. Waptou destruction of life and property wa* \ pastime for sprne of the German lenders, and these pxgpsses jypijd not be overlooked. In epnnpct'jou jyjth |he dp jn a lid for the delivery of "the august, personages to be charged with various against humanity there is now the case of Hob land to deliver up. the ex-Kaiser. The 1 after playing his part in j starting and carrying on the war .on German lines, was forced to ™e country, and found sanctuary in Hob ' land. In a very full statement of the easp for a trial, of the ex-Kaiser, ’Holland was acquainted with the view Che Allies took of the international position. It seemed that from the outlet opposition from the Dutch was expected, so fully did the statement cover the ground of possible objection. Holland has refused to give up the ex-Kaiser and the reasons given are very inadequate. J|; is significant that the" refusal is coincident with it pub? ]i s ] lc d statement that Holland and Germany te-yy just completed a trading treaty which wjt} not bo to the disadvantage of the former country. It is now hinted .that the Allies will .iusiiintp a sea blockade of Holland till the request for the ex-Ivaiser is supplied. This form, of .pressure i. s l° s deadly than open warfare, but the action..is tantamount to that, and the Dutch will not appreciate the pressure with any degree of friendly feeling, It is impprgitf.vc -however, to carry out the (terms of the peace treaty, and the condition? W?f ¥ ri? t ' ( ?. rced -

i It does not. appear likely o'ac ' erica is going to enter the League oi | Nations. Tte, League .covenant was j mad).,- yp essential part of the Peace Treaty pnuTi.cglly at the behest and | certainly with (he t"lf concurrence of the American representatives. 0 lie United States professed to be an es- ' sentinlly peace nation, and we had the ! experience of Mr Wilson trying to settle the way by peaceful Notes. But Mr , Wilson's breakdown in health robbed 'the nation of the leader competenf to direct affairs, and disappearing from the scene of activity, the political wjrt- ! pullers got busy in Parliament with | josult that the treaty as well as

the i.eagMi- /pycnant seems to be hope, lessly shelved a,s for .« America* concerned. Legally the I'tW/.’. dIK 1 and Germany are still Jit 0 state <4 war, and the American senators shfW U(> disposition to seek to men l affairs. The position h not at all to the credit of the United States. Britain and no doubt Franco also, have their host to try and .secure the active co-opera-tion of America in .the enforcement of the treaty and the winding up of .the war. Britain has sept, across to the United States a. succession of hsr foremost statesmen in tho vain endeavour to imprests the necessities of the case on the American senators who dominate the position. Tho visiting statesmen were fully authenticated to deal generously with the situation and American political opinion and tiie records show that every effort was made without avail, The United .States thus takes up a very hypocritical position, and is being ill-judged by the nations at large. Hie association of America 1 with the war is passing into a very involved phase, and the position is not 1

likely to lie clearly definite till after the next presidential election. That is a good way off, and in the meantime America will incur much obloquy .because of the very peculiar action of her statesmen whom it is said do not express the wish of the people by their inaction. From time to time there are whispers md rumours of impending industrial trouble in this country. New Zealand

at the present moment, according to 1 the bated report is on the eve of a far- ( < reaching upheaval. Reports from j Christchurch published through the j I newspapers give a little extra coloring | to the stories going abroad. There are j acounts of maritime and transport . troubles generally in the air. A very large quantity of foreign coal is on the water for New Zealand, and its unloading is being suggested as a matter of some difficulty. Another hint is that owing to the high cost of living there may be a strike at any moment against loading food for export from this country, till food prices are reduced. Then there is talk of maritime and J railway troubles arising out of the vari- | ous grievances while of course the posi. rtion- brought about hv The go-slow methods in the- coal mines might be •provocative oil industrial trouble. If the flame hursts forth in respect to any one of these matters, the conflagration is likely to become general, and in that event the struggle will be a determined one, and possibly of some length. If the position is as black as some ’ would have us believe, it seems a pity that the parties do not come out in the open and make the position more plain. Lightning strikes are the most fashionable, but (nowadays they are the most disastrous for those who resort to them. The first efFect is on the innocent folk who resent being made a victim for the benefit of others. In any case,

the industrial unrest combined with the reduced production, is not good for the country. It is degrading its manhood and sapping its powers of recuperation now when they are needed most to rebuild its fortunes after the war. This industrial war within is not for the good of the country, and the Government requires to bo firm and strong in imposing industrial peace, not arbitrarily, but bv a reasonable regard for all .concerned not forgetting the 1 unoffending public who have to pay all the time to keep these wanton strikes going on.