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Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1920, Page 2

In the course of a very friendly notice ' of the visit of the Canterbury folk late|ly to the Coast, a Christchurch paper remarked that the delegation gathered a mass of impressive evidence as lo the potentialities of the Nature-favour-ed region. The reports of the newspaper representatives accompanying the , delgation justify up to the hilt the agitation for the opening up of the Coast by means of improved railway communication north and east, And more than ever it is being disclosed by ;he ; tour that it is distinctly in the in- , terests of he Dominion as a whole that the West Coast should be provided with , a regular land outlet. We knew years ago that there is dairy country on the Coast equal to the (best in Taranaki. , These areas cannot be farmed as they should be farmed until uninterrupted ! connection is established with Christ- - church. Then there are the forests which are untouched .by the mills because of the lack of railways. It is ~ true that millions of feet of sawn timber are exported from the Coast every year, but it is also true that t the output would be doubled if pro--3 per facilities were provided for getting . the timber over the anges. And what i applies to timber applies also to coal. ’ Apart from the well-known and well tested beds across the ranges, there is the field in the Buller country. According to the evidence of investigators competent to judge, there is an unlimited quantity of first class coal in the e Duller district practically untouched And it will remain so until a gap of e 14 miles of line is completed .and the ( Midland railway is working. In view , of the uncertainty of regular supplies I of coal from Australia, the State might well look into the Buller proposition without further delay. From all acP counts, it is wobth while both from the f point of view of quality nnd quantity, ’ and from general accessibility. This is * a matter in which the whole country J ought to he interested. With through • | railway connection from Westport to k , Canterbury an actuality, ''Wellington ’’ and Auckland will be assured of more and cheaper coal and timber. Mr Massey told a begging, deputation the other ’ day that there were no fewer than 24 lines in the process of building and they wore to be finished before any new ones were started. Now that the comj pletion of the Midland track is in sight, . , the Government could not do better i than bridge the gap between the western i : rail head and Inangahua, and make a ; job of the Canterbury-West Coast -_o- ' | ordination. It : . would pay' handsomely.and confer a national benefit. Apropos of the Canterbury delegation’s j visit, the report of the Organiser (Mr t Climie) read at the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday night, indi- ! cated that the Progress League would I concenfrqle on three main questions affecting the W,est Coast, namely: the j early completion of the jOtjra. Tunnel, , the completion of the Buller Gqrge railway, and the bridging of the South Westland rivers. Residents of the Westland will not cavil at this little list, nor at the order in which the works considered of vital importance .ire placed. It is clear that the Christchurch folk recognise Westland’s chief wants very frankly, and their influence in helping towards the long-wish-ed for goal will be very jjubsjbaiitial. The League will have behind it a baker’s dozen of Members of Parliament who if effectively organised ©an accomplish a great deal. From the letter of Mr Malcolm M.P., to the Cham-' , ber of Commerce this week, Mr. Seddon , can count on influential support from I Otago members also, so that Westland is at last receiving a measure of support [in keeping with her deserts. As to j the League assistance; the value -of i this district throwing in its lot with I Oapterbury is at once justified and < realised by the co-operation promised. The claims upon the country seeking for the progress of Westland will be .it once supported by the large league in 1 Gafnterbury. This would not be so < ] readily available were not Westland af- 1 filiated with the parent body. The late I 1 visit and the relations engendered have j 1 brought about a. very cordial feeling between the people concerned, and this wider and better understanding must j be for the public good and count for c progress. t