THE CANTERBURY DELEGATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1920, Page 1

THE CANTERBURY DELEGATION.

WEST COAST TOUR

The LytteKon Times says:—Members of the Canterbury Progress League, 1 Chamber of Commerce and Industrial 1 Association, who had been on a twelve I days’ visit to the West Coast, returned I to Christchurch on Saturday evening. 1 They found on the Coast general satis- ( faction that the Government was push- ] ing forward the work of tunnel con- f struction at Arthur’s Pass, a wide- < spread desire that a School of Forestry • should be established in connection < with Canterbury College, and strong demands for the construction of bridges . over the rivers on the main road through South Westland arid for the completion of the Buller Gorge railway. Members of the delegation were particularly impressed with the efforts now being made to develop new coal and timber areas, with the excellent dairying country round the liver flats, with the scenic beauties of Wailio Gorge, and with the lack of adequate transport facilities in many districts. A certain result of the tour is a tightening of the bonds between Canterbury and the West Coast in industrial matters and progressive movements, jilt G. WHiTF’S IMPRESSIONS. Mr G. White, the representative of the Industrial Association, with the Canterbury delegation which toured the West Coast contributed his impressions a ; s follows to the “Press.” : “What a joy ride you have had.” “What a lucky chap you are.” What teas it all about?” These and similar remarks I have had to listen to all day loner. “What impressed me most? 1 ” Well, what impressed me most was the topsy turvy commercial relations existing between the West Coast and Can- ■ terhury. They possess the most urgent of our necessities, and we cannot get the stuff through to them which they require. The West Coasters realise that something solid will result f rom om visit. “We have brought hack with xis I quite a sackful of requirements. I am not asking the Industrial Association to give them a general endorsement, but I 1 have pledged them to support three • propositions. The bridging of the rivers to and across, the completion of the Buller railway, and the urgent necessity of electrifying the Otirn. tunnel.' While in Hokitika, Mr Wild, Chairman of the Hospital Board, motored me to tho site of the new hospital ward and administration block. The Hokitika people seem very anxious that I should undertake this work, and I promised to give it every consideration. Unfortunately the same state of affaiis exists there as here, everything seems strang- * lcd for lack of labour. Westland is the land of to-morrow. The wonder- ' ful scenery, the welcome at every httle settlement, tho entertainments, including invitations to balls, theatres, and clubs in tho town; in fact, tho whole ‘stunt’- will be remembered by me as » long as memory lasts.’l