Canterbury and the West Coast.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1920, Page 3

Canterbury and the West Coast.

* (From the “Press.”) | It is possibly too early .to estimate at • their full value the results of the visit jto the West Coast.pf the delegation | from the Canterbury Progress League, i tlip Chamber of Commerce, and the ■ Industrial Associatiou, winch was con- { eluded on Saturday. But it cannot be j doubted that the tour will have lastj ing and beneficial effects for the people , on, both aides pf the range. The trip, j which was organised by the Progress I League, and carried through without : a hitch from beginning to end, represented an effort on the part of the local i League and the West Coast Leagues to “get together.” The Christchurch business men who spent ten busy days, in learning at first hand the conditions and requirements of the Coast, have returned profoundly convinced of the potentialities of the whole district that they covered, stretching from Waiho in the South, toiteddonville in the North, and the West Coast people, on their part, can hardly fail to have been impressed with Canterbury’s obvious desire, as expressed by the presence of the delegation, to strengthen the good feeling that should exist between the two communities. From every point of i view the tour was a remarkable success, and it would be an excellent thing if similar organised visits could be paid from time to time, to cement still more closely the bonds of friendship that have been forged during the past two weeks. The trip, one imagines, lias been a good deal less of a “joy ride” than many people seem to think. When the Christchurch party were not actually travelling, inspecting mines and harbours, and so forth, they seem to have been getting into touch with local residents, at public meetings, and .less formal gatherings, investigating for themselves local requirements, and ascertaining local opinion as to the necessity for various public works. They found absolute unanimity in the desire for the early completion of the Otira tunnel. Upon that work rest the hopes of the whole West Coast; all the other works which are needed are more or less dependent on it. The completion of the unfinished Buffer Gorge railway is the next undertaking, in order of importance, which appealed most strongly to the visitors. We have already dealt on previous occasions with this matter, and it is sufficient now to say that the Christchurch party found that tffe_coalproducing possibilities of the district had not been in the least exaggerated. While we in Canterbury are suffering from a continual shortage of fuel, the expenditure of some half-million on finishing this line would .place almost unlimited quantities of excellent coal at our disposal. The assistance given by the Canterbury Progress League in bringing this much-needed wo,rk yndgr the notice of the Government seems to be' much appreciated on the coast. Every district visited had, of course, j its own local wants, besides those in j which the whole Coast was concerned, i In South Westland, for instance, the Christchurch men had the yecessjty for the bridging pf the rivers impressed up- j pn them, not only for the benefit of visitors tp the famed scenic beauties of , that part pf the province, b,ut also to facilitate* the opening up of valuable lands. The need for the imprpyement ' of .Okarito harbour, for whicili the set- J tiers ar§ willing tp b.e rated, was also stressed. It, is Interesting tp nofc that throughout their trip the visitors found , a general wish that a School of Forestry 1 should be established in connexion with Canterbury College, a circumstance j which may serve to remind our friends , in Auckland, who have been, talking as fclipugh their province possessed the only | bush in New Zealand, that in Westland there are enormous areas of magnifi- , cent virgin bush, and that forestry of a scientific character is just as mgph need- j ed there as in Auckland. " The party ' were, greatly struck with"the possibilities of the West Coast for sheep and cattle raising and dairying, but the ex- , perts came away with the cpnyjction that better fsrrpijiig, as u'pff as more of if, was sadly needed. They are by no means satisfied that file land is being worked to the best advantage, apd believe that some Canterbury and Otago farmers could .revolutionise farming o.n the QoasL, reform, as we|l as others, by which Canterbury apd fbe West Coast will benefit will, fiowpvey, , no dqubt be brought affouf in times when , communication. between flic provinces is established.. Westland will then take its place as pne of the most favoured parts of the Dominion, and our young men, no longer lured to the North ( Island, will follow the old American ad-, vice, “Go west and grow up with the country.” j (From the Lytteiton “Times.”) Very useful results should, follow the visit of a delegation representing the Canterbury Progress League to the ;

(From tho Lyttelton “Times.”) Very useful results should .follow the visit of a delegation representing the Canterbury Progress League to the ; West Coast of this Island, The tomextended over twelve days, and was quite a comprehensive affair, stretching ! from South Westland up to the coal regions north of Greymouth. Among the lessons of the tour an important one is that the West Coast is a district of great potentialities. In the far south the country is kept back through lack of access, and in this connection one or two bridges not involving great expense are, urgently needed. " 'The delegates gained ' personal knowledge qf V’i.de areas of g'ou'd fanning lapel the development of which is hindered by the isolation of, that part of the Dominion. In thp northern part of the tour the, party saw something of the immense coalfields that will be brought into use when railway communication is made, and were able to - see for themselves the conditions under which the miners work and live One o'f the most urgent needs in this connection is improved mpans of transporting the men' between their hemps and the scene of their labour. It seems a pity that members of Parliament do not visit the mines occasionally. A few do, we know, bub almost

every member could mako this a part of his education, and the public would, no doubt, profit, if this were done. The prime object of the visit by tlio Progress League delegation was to get into closer touch with the Coast and the Const people in view of Ihe opening of the Midland Railway in the near future, which event is bound to stimulate' the exchange of produce and commodities between the two provinces. Tin's principal part of the mission appears to

have been highly successful, for the visitors found our friends on the other side of the ranges appreciative of the attention paid to them and of the prospects which the through rail connection will open. up. It is a good thing for Canterbury and ' Westland to be strengthening their natural friendship and realising how complimentary each of the two districts is to the other. It is also a good tiling for the Dominion as a whole that steps should be taken to develop new farming country, to exploit large sources of timber supply and to bring into /consumption enormous quantities of coal of first-class quality. Possibly if a tour of the West Coast by a party of Auckland politicians could be arranged, the facts weld prove so irresistible that we should have them joining in the agitation for .giving the Coast the means of access the lack of which not only retards the progress of the district, but also involves very large econmie loss to the whole Dominion.