Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 30th, 1920. MINES.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 30th, 1920. MINES.

The Rt- Hon. the Prime Minister V s added to his burdens of office by taking on tiie portfolio of Mines. For some time now Mines has been rather the plaything of the Ministry, and the changes have been so frequent that' it was mover quite dear to the memory who was the Minister of Mines for the time being. 'However, the responsihlity is fixed now upon Mr Massey, and it is on the most capable shoulders in the Cabinet. It it to- bo assumed that Mr Massey has not taken the portfolios pro tenr as a mere make-shift, but rather with the desire and the determination to make the Department wlnt it never should have ceased to be, a live concern. This estimate of the position is rather borne out by a paragraph in the Financial Statement delivered in the. House on Tuesday night, wherein Mr Massey, referring to miniior, said : “It is desired to promote the mining industry in every way possible.” There is room and to spare for tbs forward effort to take effect. It lias been a persistent complaint over many years now—ever since the late Mr McGowan gave up the portfolio—that the mining industry lias not had what Mr Massey would define as a “square deal.’’* It has been neglected—a kind, of Cinderella Department overlooked oonrin•■oi’slv. A year or more ago, when the National Government was in office, and ■lia,d tb.e opportunity of working its sweet will in any direction it might ' care to hunch oiit, a local effort was

attempted to enlist public sympathy and the then Minister of Mines was invited t« attend a Confe-enee whereat mining matters were discussed. The public attended representatively, and the Minister spoke honeyed words of sympathy, but very little in the way of practical help for the 'industry resulted, ft was hoped tlint as the War had ended • nd the business of the country was drir> ping hack to normal conditions, something would be attempted to promote the interests of mining. Mining of all avenues of industry is the least assisted. In all forms of agriculture and in > «r----ious industries, there is most liberal State aid, and a set of officers continually striving to further various developments, hut mining stands' isolated apd nncared for. The session is now in progress njid his hands are very full of many matters, but thp earliest oppor- j tunity should be taken to enlist his good offices on behalf of the development of the industry, and to sceuro Ids praoticil interest in the welfare of the Department. Occupying the position lie 'don. if he can. ho induced to assent to a definite scheme for flic promotion end development of gold mining, the thing will he as good ns done. The mining districts of the Coast and elsewhere should .therefore eo-operate in urging the claims of the industry upon the Minister, and so far as this district is concerned the authorities could not do better than invite Mr Massey to Westland and put before him concrete policy proposals having for their object the furtherance of mining. The opportunity of enlisting Mr Massey’s good offices should be attempted at least, and the public bodies might well take the natter up.

Thkiik is a good deal of general comment over the new scale of postal, 'elcgraphie and telephonic charges to come into force on Sunday. While the war taxation would have been endured quiet ly, the super-tax now decided upon will be strongly resented, and there will he • a great decrease in the volume of the , business. Under the war tax the postal revenue increased by £128,555 from I 1918 to 1919, and by £131,945 from | 1919 to 1920. This quarter of a million increase in two years has not satisfied the Deportment, who lias found itself unable to cut its garment to the cloth available. The new increase on the old volume of business would add enormously to the revenue, but it is clear oven to the official mind, that a decre-se is looked for in the volume of the business. Is it sound statesmanship to deliberately plan for such a result? According to the Dominipn, “tile official view of the new scalp casts a somewhat different light on the argument about the increased charges. It has been estimated that the amount of money which will he brought in by the new charges will just about cover the increase in the cost ol' administration. Tile wages of all employees have gone up, and means • had to lie taken to meet them. It was | not possible to raise the emolument of practically everyone in a big service like the Post anl Telegraph Department without devising means to pay the same. If the amount of business remained as much unler the new charges as it was now, the Post and Telegraph Department (it was stated) would no doubt make a profit, but experience had shown that whenever a rise in charges was made there was a falling off in the measure, of business done, and so it would he after August Ist. After all, the charges were only reverting to what they’ were some veuis ago, and surely the exigencies of the situation justified it.” There is a very weak apology indeed for the Department to offer. Because the charges :re reverting to the had old days of Conservatism is no reason to justify their re-imposition to-day. The great benefits the country derived under the master Postmaster-General of the Liberal regime—Sir Joseph "Ward—are being taken from the people, and a,paltry , excuse offered in return. There is n 6 suggestion of reorganisation of the T)e----j partment to live within its means. Statesmanship does not enter into tile . argument at all. A great increase of taxation is being added to the people without any adequate explanation fr< m , the Government. The position certainly recalls the prc-Liberal times when Sir Harry Atkinson wore “the hob-nailed boots” and stalked over the country as lie wished. History is repeating itselff. When the people realise what they are losing they will wake up to a . sense of their rights.