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Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1920, Page 2

Westland possesses so many source: for hydro-eiectric p«wer that it \voul< be a carnival act were an effort no made to utilise them for the develop ment and advancement of the district Other parts of New Zealand less blessec by nature in the -"provision of natura sources of power, are taking up vcr costly projects. In fact from one en< of the Dominion to the other, th< whole countryside is agog with the ini portance of the subject and is eager ti avail itself of any local project likel: to be of advantage to the particula district. In previous references to tli matter attention has been drawn to th local possibilities of the occasion, an ■ now it is pleasing to note that th local bodies' are moving in the matter and will confer next week, and latei it is honed, get practical advice frot Mr Birks, Government Engineer, r< : garding the utilisation of the powei At the Chamber of Commerce mectin this week the question of water righi ; was- broached, but it is manifest froi ' what has gone before that the publ \ interests, will be conserved in the evei i ! of any large water right being take lup privately. That was the ca: ! with the Toaroha scheme of some yea ago. Under the legislation of to-da; the Crown reserves tlio right to a quire hydro-electric works even aft they are installed, so that it is clei public interests are safeguarded. - the moment it would appear the di trict will require to look largely private enterprise for immediate d velopnient, and in that event to e courage the initiation of a suitab project to afford ample power for tl industrial development of tlie distric To ensure that achievement some litt sacrifice to the pioneer effort would 1 worth while. The Westland Chamber of Commer decided to cooperate with the Cantei bury Progress (League in the agit tiou to bring the claims for the ear completion of the East and West Coa railway prominently before the noti of the lion, gentleman, appointed Mi ister of Public Works. The positii of the work to-day, removes the n cessity .'for all argument pro and c( ! as to the merits of the undertakin Tlie commitments of the Dominion < account of the work now demand tl earliest completion of the tunnel, ai when completed people from one ei of New Zealand to the other will raa vel at the great volume of trade whii will result from the convenience through 'traffic. If the Public Wor. Department is unable to guage tl probable ) trade, the Railway* Depar ment *is not. The heads I that department have long re | Used that there is going to 1 a difficulty in handling the goo< traffic Satisfactorily, and now has b gun a large expenditure to put tl West Coast line in a condition to cari the increased traffic. This in itself an assurance of the great volume i revenue .to come in, and the Cover: ment by not using every effort to finis off the tunnel are neglecting the final cial interests of the country. Tlie tin nel will prove a great asset to the D< minion. A, I * l prefeent it is a hear; liability, but convert it into a higl way for traffic, and its worth wi he of great value directly and ind rectly to the revenues of the country Anything which pan be done to accon plisli what lias been for so long in ban should be supported in every 'vaj and the idea to get the new Minister oi the ground is an excellent one, an should result in a special concentratioi of forces.