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Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1920, Page 2

i The Ministerial visit which closes to- | day is all too short for the reason that ■ Mr Coates is not more than inspecting the fringe of Westland County. When the ' present tour was sugI gested on behalf of the County Council it was hoped that the Minister would ' penetrate at least as far as Welieka | (Cooks River), and an itinerary was . drawn up accordingly./ Pressure on I the Minister’s time cut the journey | short at Inter-Wanganui where it ends to-dav. Mr Coates to-night goes into • the northern part of the electorate. Some jealousy, not to say public feeling, lias been worked up in the north because Mr Coates spent so much time in Westland. Our friends to the north I should remember that not only was the J visit made at the express invitation I from this end, hut also that the West- • land County is the longest in the Dominion. Also: we halve heen much j beholden in the past to the press of Greymouth for the splendid .support I given in that quarter to the needs of | Westland regarding the bridging of the south road,-as also the widening of Lake j Kanieri road.. The northern press need 1 not be so perturbed, then, if when | visiting the Coast the Minister .spends a portion of his time in insnectiner localities. the claims of which were so enthusiastically urged by the papers hitherto. We are quite sure the advocacy, of the south works was sincere on the part of the Greymouth press, which certainly makes it more difficult to understand the latest attitude of the papers because the one Minister who can do so much to help in the matters referred to, should see the position for himself. However, our friends will have the Hon. Minister with them to-night and Mr Coates with his winning way will make matters quite ailright aud northern hearts will he captured as were those of the south by

the mascot of the Mnsse v Ministry. Meeting Mr Coates our Grey district friends will realise tha't the Minister is not a person of likes or dislikes. That he is in office to do his duty to all. and that he is bent on doing it in his own frank and easy way which will win j him appreciation all along the line, j For this portion of the Westland electorate it way be said that the people | generally much appreciate the visit, and there is a. keen .desire that when next he needs a. “rest” he will seek out South Westland and pass a pleasurable week among the warm-hearted back blockers of the southern settlements where lie will have a. welcome second to none in New* Zealand. ' We are beginning to think we know Mr Coates, and would like the opportunity of knowing him better, and for that reason the Minister of Public Works will be always a welcome visitor to all parts of Westland. May Mr Coates pass this way again soon. Events, during the past week or so appear to have shattered the nerves of some people very badly. At Greymouth folk are in quite ri bad way, and an ilustration of this is manifested in, a sub-leader fn hist night’s Grey Star, where there is quite an ebullition of feeling in n leaderette in "Greyrnputh Ignored.” Our reason for referring to the matter at this stage is to correct some mis-statements in thp effusion referred to. First, it was never, intended that the Prince of Wales should

pass a night in Greymouth ! What was proposed was that the only night on the Coast should be passed at Reefton, an c ] the next morning visit Greymouth and depart at noon for'Otira. As a matter of fact tlie Mayor of Greymouth invited the head of local bodies at Hokitika to Greymouth to prepare a joint programme for the forenoon visit. ■ The Hokitika authorities certainly protested at the capital of Westland being omitted from tho itinerary, hut there were “no powerful influences invoked.” On the contrary, when rfls Excellency the Governor-General intimated it was not possible for His Highness to visit Hokitika the position was accepted and arrangements were in progress for the neople to pay their respects to the Prince at Otira, file only point in Westland County to be touched in the tour. But the-Government authorities found that the tour as at-

first arranged was not practicable, and it was from the Government quite spontaneously that the suggestion was made to spend uj night in. Hokitika. The suggestion was tentative but the hint was sufficient, and preparations were at once put in train, and a local programme submitted within a few hours.. The Mayor of' the to wn lost no time >n arranging all details, so that when definite enquiry was made biter, he was. able to say Hokitika was ready and anxious to do the honors to the full extent of its resources. From Hokitika not a single suggestion went forward for any curtailment of the Royal stay in Greymouth—the 'folk here were happy in having the Prince to them-, selves for a night, and there the matter rested. The second correction 1 re ha veto make to our contemporary’s misstatements is in respect to the allegation that “the Hokitika people worked away” to take an additional half-hour off Greymouth! This is contrary fo fact; The Hokitika people made in move of such a character. Regarding the precious half-hour, the only intimation the Hokitika authorities had was a notification from the District Traffic Manager of Railways at Greymouth giving the time table. "This disclosed that the Royal train would arrive Half an hour later than the Government-first advised, and depart half an hour later than first notified. These are the bate facts of the case arid they refute the incorrect statements on which cur contemporary woitks .up its wrath. The fury into which the evening paper has worked itself over this little matter is making it and 'the town it orofesses to speak for,; rather the laughing stock of the amused, onlookers. Arnopos of Greymouth hospitality which the Prince and a Minister of the Crown appear to have missed according to the lamentation of the local press, .a present visitor to Greymouth writing in last flight’s Grey Star makes the particular brand of “hospitality” turned on in the northern borough as something of very doubtful warmth. An anonymous writer tells how fie went to a social evening at Greymouth and found himself ignored and coldshouldered, ami then he goes on to say: “Suddenly I became disgusted and went out on tile street. As T gazed lip at the keen inclement' rky; the Greymouth “.barber” c ame down the river and chilled me to the bone, and I thought of the immortal Bard of Avon—'‘Thou are not so keen, as man unkind.” While some towns in New Zealand are establishing community Clubs for tlie purpose of extending the hand of hospitalitsy to strangers coming into tlieir midst, Greymouth is probably unconsciously establishing refrigerators for the ptiimpose of freezing them out and this in the face of the fact that all over New Zealand it has the reputation of being one of the most sociable towns on the face of "the earth.”

If H.R.H. or tlie Hon. Hr Coates ever rend last night's issue of the Grey Star they will realise "omething of what there is to miss in the matter of '‘hospitality.” To-night also, Mr Coates will miss tlie cordial greetings of the Mayor of Greymoutli who will he on the other side of the ranges. So much for the infelicity of boasting Greymoutli as revealed by its local evening press „