Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 28th, 1920. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, AUGUST 28th, 1920. THE WEEK.

It is good news to learn that the Government are focussing at last on the electrification scheme for the Otira Tunnel. This portion of the work is indispensible for through traffic. A period of eighteen months is being fixed for the contract, but it seems too much U> hope that the transport of the plant and malarial from England can come to pass withip. JiJiat time—and be erected, If time is to be the essence of the contract the position would be hopeful, but so many delays come to pass nowadays wjLth works great and little, that it i.a nop wjjsp to h« pver-san-guine. Jt would appeal' hpiypypp jjjja.t a reputable firm is taking up the e/oefr/fication work, which will mean a set of outside employees to carry it through, In view of the depletion of the local ranks of electricians for a work of such I

magnitude as that involved with Otira, this is satisfactory, and gives some hope that the unexpected might happen and the job be done to time. Another very

!ur ; ;e ir.dispensible portion of the tunnel H-oplisi is the station room alf each end of the tunnel. At both Otira. and Arthurs Pass, a large Jjpiount of clearing and filling will be required for station accommodation, vrhile’ small townships have to bp built to house the railway employees. Over forty houses have to be built at Otira alone, beside all the station and shed accommodation. \n army of laborers and tradesmen will be required for the work if it is to be done quickly, and the present shortage of the labor market suggests fear for the big job being done in the time set down. There is reason to believe, Jjpwpver, that the Minister of Public Works is organising for dhe speedy completion of the great work, and if this be so we may hope that no branch of the great undertaking will be allowed to delay matters uudujy now that the work is nearing the end, and completio'n is in sight.

One of the Christchurch papers wrote this week about' closer relations between the two Coasts. The facilities for inter communication which the railway ' will afford with consummate desire. The late visitors ive have had from Canterbury will be able to present a report to the East Coasters which will interest and enlighten them as to the possibilities of the West Coast. The fact that land is still rising in price hero shows the faith which is beginning to he founded in our pastures. In the past land has been so cheap that largo

areas were acquired easily and they were worked profitably without any need for special cultivation. With rising prices, the larger areas will prove profitable for cutting up, and at the enhanced prices for the smaller areas available, it will become imperative to work the land more and more so as to get a payable return out of it. The prime stock which is being turned off Westland land just now supply ample proof of the virtues of the feed and this will give the land a stable value in tlm eyes s of Canterbury people who know full well what prime products yield. In the same way with dairying, and the £act that butter is soaring so high in price, a great fillip will be givon to dairying. Here again pounds will be put on to the value of tlie land. Purchasers will find their areas limited is the prico rises, and that fact means more intensive cultivation to maintain the herds throughout' the year. All these circumstances point to rising prices for land and sales reported this week confirm this view. In dairying centres small parcels of land are changing hands at prices unthought of a very few years ago. With the railway available for through traffic the price will go still higher. The man on the land in Westland is on a good wicket, for he lias an asset which is sure to rise in value with the running of the Ehst jjnd West Coast railway.

The stringency created in Wellington by the trouble about the unloading of phosphates was eased by the men returning to work on Thursday. As a Christchurch paper remarked, New Zealand is not getting much respite from industrial strife nowadays. The latest trouble, like so many others, was on the waterfront, and the capital city was very seriously inconvenienced. Trams were stopped, theatres closed and so forth, while it was almost found necessary to cut out the night sittings of Parliament. The trouble was caused by the waterside workers refusing to unload some phosphate except on their own terms, and the employers consequently declined to engage labour for any kind of unloading, with the exception that the embargo did not apply to ferry steamers and some other vessels whose stoppage would cause a congestion of people in Wellington. On the face of the reports, the Lyttelton Times said, the public will say that the employers have a good case. They point out that the class of cargo which is the subject of dispute is legislated for in the award, while there is a properly established Disputes Committee competent to decide variations according to circumstances. Tlie employers are willing to use and obey that committee, which, of course represents both sides. The 'men are prepared to work any other kind of cargo but phosphate, bub tlie employers naturally say that tiiey cannot allow labour to pick and choose. Hence the deadlock, the most immediately serious effect of which was to prevent the landing of coal.

Thoughtful people must have been anticipating a struggle of this nature for some time past. Our opinion, continues the Times, is that it ought to have taken place earlier and that the employers are to blame for having evalded the issue. Wp mention particularly the manner in which the Union Company permitted its crews tp reject passengers and cargo because certain Labour officials Had cliosen to dec 111 re racing “black.” That having been allowed, Apparently without protest on the part of the authorities concerned, the feeling was encouraged, that, labour could simply do as it liked, alnd that i)S yliiat is happening in Wellington limy, Possjbly thp crews who rejected racehorses and jockeys and racing authorities did not fully '.appreciate the gravity pf thejr policy, but their employers must suj-ely have done so, and we caq pnjy psgupip that their attitude was “anything for a quiet life.” That, however, is just the surest way not to get a quiet life, as Wellington is now realising. The sooner the whole of the employers realise this, and act upon It, the better fop the conun unity—which by thp way, mainly consists of working people.

e The French generalship thrown into 1 the balance in favour of Poland, has - turned the tide against the Russian - Bolsheviks, The situation has its in--1 teresting phase, for a few short years l ago Frajnee and Russia were in very t close alliance—so close that the alle- } giance was one of the factors in preei- - pitating the world war. Now France is - issuing all readily available forces to [ the discomfiture of Russia. Up to the s tiinq ,pf the French generals taking 1 charge ,qf the niilitarjy position, the outlook for Poland looked black indeed. The R ( ed jjrmjes .91 were advancing rajpidly an,4 ,offer,t.erjm,s to PoJan4 fpr surrender wjiich w t erp quite I humiliating. A|fc the pfitspp Ppjapd brought 3. good deaj qf the military rej buff upon herself by overstepping th e J mark in her Russian invasion. How.- | ever, Poland has learned her lesson, and will not go beyond her demArked borders once she wins back control of her own territory. In this she will have the support of the Allies, and to that extent should be grateful indeed for her national security being retain- t ed when the circumstances looked so ■

black. T lle Allies themselves promise to he 9 liappjer family as ia result of the Russo-Polish war. To begin with, Unite/i States luis bpep enforced to take a side again, and at least offer maforilal support. Then again Mr Lloyd George between France and Itnjy, appears to have patched up, if not healed, the international differences. There is exstanding as between the Allies, ,and that is a material gain judging by the unofficial comment on the strained relations as thpy are alleged, which from time to time pass ftypr jhe wires. The plight of Poland is of course /jpt yet relieved, but the situation is very I hopeful, and the Red armies are suffer- . ing a demoralising set back. What the material gift pf this on resourceful Russia will be remains to be senn.- .

A Peace Conference setting in respect to tho affairs of Ireland, sounds hopeful. It is largely unofficial, but at the same time it is composed of representative people, and it would not be surprising if this “get together’’ conference will carry considerable weight. There Is the suggetsion of an amnesty as a means to produce a better atmosphere in Ireland. That- sounds Jike an important concession, which it sterns is the only way to reach the goal. all vexed question within the Empire.

The suggestion seems to give an opening to those who could speak with authority and influence in Ireland to plead for a, better understanding, man to man. The deplorable condition of affairs is not creditable to either side just now, and they "are so beyond the bounds of reason as to constitute a most disgraceful page in history. Still as the blackest hour is before the dawn, perhaps tlie glint of the rising sun will! i soon show itself. The Peace Confer--1 ence may he the silver lining to presage the great event. » The Motherland is more desperately beset with industrial unrest than we at the Antippdes, even though wo have our daily troubles in some portion or other of the Dominion, The miners at Home threaten a monster strike' at an oalrly date, and the threat is so ominous as to alarm the countryside. Tlie dislocation .and upheaval* following the War is necessarily felt more intently In a country with such a teeming popula- ; tion. Every branch of industry carries i its millions of employees, and any trade ;or calling affected by a strike hais a most disturbing effect. Of late it has been clear that the leaders do not always lead at Home. It seems the same everywhere. Here this week, the wharf labourers’ executive at Wellington proposed, but the m'en disposed otherwise. The sane leaders in England are very properly advising against a strike, but feeling runs so high when the men congregate in masses, and violent talk from a few irresponsililes with rebel tendencies inflame the mind, and reason and organisation are forgotten. It seems to be a desperate position, and it might yet require a desperate remedy to cure it. Let us hope reason will prevail.