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Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1920, Page 2

There was a matter mentioned at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday night which whs of peculiar interest

to the townspeople and which should not be lost sight of. On the contrary, the position requires to be closely watched, and steps taken to induce the Government to deal with the matter compre-

hensively. We refer to the congestion already threatened at the local railway yards, and the certainty that in a year or so when tins through railway to Christchurch is in running order, that congestion will bo intensified manifold. By then the congestion will be not only in regard to exports, but also in coping with the passenger trains. The fact that the small space required for a sheep loading bank is not available now indicates, what must happen immediate-

ly when the six new sawmills now starting in the neighbourhood are sending along their product for export. It is said that practically all available loading space adjacent to the line is bespoken so that the newcomers will have to find a way out for the authorities, if the latter do not realise the position betimes, and anticipate events. Sometime ago it was given out that there would require to be a- reorganisa-

• tion of the station yard,by the ’acquire—- | ment of additional property and the taking of extra streets. That time is * now approaching, and it is for the j townspeople through their local bodies to get into touch with the authorities and see that the matter is advanced as I quickly as possible. The local station is all too small now, and at holiday j time rakes of passenger carriages have j to stand along the wharf or other inconj veilient places. It is high time tljat i the matter were taken up in a eompre- ! hbnsivo way, and the position made as : secure and confortablo for the public as possible. There are other districts besides Westland where the rating public bodies find

the burden of hospital and charitable aid administration unduly heavy, and a particularly severe drain on funds ostensibly raised for reading and general district expenditure. The provision whereby local bodies are particularly levied upon for the means to sustain central institutions often outside tho boundaries of their administrative ajreas, must bear very heavily and it is not any wonder that object is raised. No doubt the high price to which the cost of supplies has risen accentuates the position seriously and as is tile case in Westland the levy has grown to abnormal proportions. The Tuapekn County Council in common with other local bodies had the question of the Charitable Aid levy before them last, month and a protest was raised against the method of levying upon local bodies for the revenue necessary to carry on. The attitude of the County Council was supported by the President of the local Farmers’ "Union who pointed out that the levy on a rateable value basis as is now ' the case, unduly taxed the property holders while allowing those possessing wealth in other forms to escape contribution. This is an old complaint of many years’ standing. The remedy is with Parliament as the law must be altered to affect a change. It has for long been a demand from many local bodies to have the charge passed on to the Consolidated Fund and so become a. national matter. This would carry with it, of course national control, but as the Government already has a large Department directly attached ed to hospital administration, there is the machinery already available to take up such a proposition, but a radical amendment of the law is necessary.