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Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1920, Page 2

To-morrow will be the provincial birthday of Westland. Although provinces have disappeared as an integral part of •local or general government, they formed in their day so notable a feature of the government of the country that most provinces regard anniversary' day as a high holiday and celebrate in many marked ways. Westland is not specially favored in that respect and except for the holiday kept by the banks and pubi lie offices, the day passes unobserved. | We'stland when it ;came into /being as a province—and short was its existence—was notable for its wealth of gold and coal. These minerals were the foundaton of its provincial glory and led to the district being separated from the province of Canterbury, and made a province in its own right. Both gold ahd. coal are still important products and are as indispensable as ever for human requirements. Coal known to exist plentifully within the old provincial boundaries is being produced, but not as rapidly as the Dominion needs demand. The production is governed by the vagaries of the labor market. Gold is restricted also in its outplut, but is the one mineral of the world the fortunes of which fluctuate so much. The recovery of gold in Westland just now is governed by the methods employed. It | is years since we had a rush, and so | the individual miner Is passing hence, i but mechanical methods operating on a I large scale promise to bring about a new era for this goldfield in particular j and there is the belief that in due time the production of, gold hereabouts will , run into substantial figures. The vast forest lands which cover Westland are proving now of greater value than ever, and as the land is being cleared, settlement expands and production in commodities unthought of in the old provincial 1 days is revealing itself. Westland is now looking for a reunion with Canterbury by the linking up of the old provincial districts by railway. It will be a great occasion when that comes to pass, and will be greatly to the advantage of Westland when once the last barrier to its isolation is removed will

go ahead by leaps and bounds. Advance Westland.

It 1b extremely satisfactory to Realise that the people of Canterbury are now fully alive to the great and urgent importance 0 f completing the Otira tunnel works as rapidly as possible. Through the Canterbury Progress League—a inos actiVe organisation—the subject ;is being kept in the forefront continually. The latest example of this arose out of the shortage of cement. As a consequence of reports regarding the shortage, tho organiser (Mr Climie) was sent to tho spot to investigate,! and that officer appears to have probed the mat_ "ter fully. He has issued his report through the public press and thus attracted general publicity to the serious position and the delay which will result if the Government do not concentrate i in supplying the material required so l urgently. It seems to be rather amiss on the part of the Public Works Department that the shortage should have grown so acute before the position was realised at headquarters. Some one is to blame for this oversight which indicates a. want of careful administration which is to bo deplored. When the Railway Department was threatenodTwith a shortage of coal, the administration acted in quite a different manner. Not only did they see that supplies were obtained wherever possible, but to ensure the more important lines being served, secondary services were curtailed, with the result that the railways maintained traffic with a minmum of inconvenience. Equally with the Public Works Deparement when it was found the local sources of supply were declining supplies shquld have been ordered . from abroad, and till these piaterialised the available quantity in the Dominion should have been used for the most urgent works. And there is no more important public work from every point of view than the Otira tunnel to-day. The action of the Progress League will no doubt will no doubt liven up the. Department, which will sell that the commodity required is obtained from Australia, or elsewhere so that the great work ma.y be completed in weeks rather than months. Mean, time much thanks to the Progress League for its action.