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Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1920, Page 2

Tire history of locally-owned shipping has not many bright spots. Since the early days when fleets of sailing ships were owned here, misfortune followed in the. train. Later, when steam supplanted sail, the spell remained unbroken, and tlie succession of locallyowned boats have passed one by one to Pjiyey Jones’ locker. The loss of the

Paeron at this juncture is much to he regretted. The handy little steamer bad been brought upTo first class order, and was in the way of earning freights to cover the cost of her equipment. But most of all she was the one serviceable link with Westland further south, and to the people of that locality her loss will be felt for a long time. The accident whereby -she was lost was a simple one, but it was completely di.Sr natrons. The boat has been lost to tho ship-owners, practically " total financial loss, as the recent repairs will absorb the sum accruing front the insurance. •So that here' we have evidence again that ship-owning on the Coast is not nt. all profitable. To the southern people the loss at the moment looks a permanent one. There is nut a. boat of oqual convenience in sight to take the place of the Paeron, and the maritime connection thus broken will be n loss to this community, as it will be a very great inconvenience to the people directly affected in the south. An effort is being made, we understand, to induce the Karamea Shipping Company to take up the south running with their little steamer, the Nile. If tin's can be arranged, it will at least ensure regular supplies being delivered. The dislocation of tile sea service emphasises the necessity for pushing the railway south with all rapidity, as the most certain means of establishing regular communication. Under the most favourable conditions just now possible, this work cannot proceed at all rapidly, but looking to the futre of the south district the railway should he advocated now more vehemently than ever. There arc great holts of timber country to bo tapped, the working of which will justify the construction of the railway, apart from the other advantages to accrue through increased settlement. The potentialities of South Westland warrant the fullest action on the part of the people to sock to advance its material interests. It is announced to-day that a very substantial increase is to lie made in postal and telegraphic charges. The increase on pre-war rates is no less than one hundred per cent. The penny postage of which we were alt so proud—has gone, and the sixpenny telegrams introduced also by Sir Joseph Ward, have gone. These rates are to be doubled, in a week’s fame. When increases were made during war times they were accepted ns a. matter of course. New Zealand had 100,000 under arms, and we had to fulfil obligations to them and their dependents, The war has passed, our army is demobilised,..and yet the taxation is retained, plus a, further substantial increase. There is not much sign of the wizardry of finance about this operation. Also, people will recall the Rremier’s electioneering promise about the reduction of taxation! Mr Massey lias not kept that promise. No , .doubt in this week’s' Financial ■State-

ment he \vijl attempt to explain why. He will fejl us of all the denjands from ii| l sides up/m the public revenues of puunw, Imjb will he offer any statesmanlike rgasop why h,e should give nsg.epi tit njj |he demands, or having given ijfc, , why lie lias |jo{ attempted to grapple with the Civil Service in file siPFf 7 ] f reform he is supposed to stand for? ■ The country is going on with all its ,great departments just as if tile war •were fcjiyif More and more departments jn faef are bepjg fiddp/b There is go thought of retrenchment nor j/e----oi-giudsufion. ’flu? increased fnxation will help to being fill's f a «t hpjne to the people and wake them up to flip shortcomings of the Government. If other similar public services are to be treated like ibo postal an ( ] telegraph department (and tlrey will no doubt) the public'will have their fill of extra taxation —all of which makes the cost of living | question more and more acute. So I great an Increase as is announced to-da.v J in a. single department indicates that the public must look for an increase of j taxation and charges all round. If, jvj the simple method of the Government fur meeting the situation, but it is not j the statesmanlike way, and under it the ' country wijl grow more and more im- ' .easy, and when the .opportunity next serves wijl demand the reforms 'now , wlth-hi-h! by those posing g,s ;,■ Reform Government. """ , ______ I