Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1920. THE YEAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1920. THE YEAR.

“A wonderful stream is the'river Time, As it runs through the realm of Tears With a faultless rhythm, and a musical rhyme, 4 And a broader sweep, and a surge sublime

As it blends with tile ocean of Years.” ‘‘Time rolling his ceaseless course” has brought us to the close of another year, and the threshold of a new year. The year 1920 will soon be fading away into .history where time will continue to add its touches to the events by enlarging the perspective in which we view them. The dying year has not fulfilled the promise of hope with which it was welcomed. But time is not blameable for that. The blame lies with those who in various spheres have been, charged with the direction of events. The best time can do for us is to provide the opportunity. The seizing of “the skirts of happy chance,” and turning them to value or advantage is for our own doing. Tfie war left a dismal trail all round the world, and it was hoped that during the past year some af the worst scars might be obliterated by the creation of a new order of events. Warring times produced a desperate conflict, and much time will be needed to clear up the waste and devastation for the reason that matters now require remoulding to fit the altered circumstances. But there was at least a notable attempt to retrieve the position, and that by the effort of the League of Natiqns to bring order out of chaos, peace out of war. The League of Nations has made a beginning with its task. It began under adverse circumstances, for not all the nations were in league. Even the United States, the President of which posed as the “Dove of Peace,” and gave the first thoughts for a Peace League their greatest impetus, stood out of the combine. America still stands aloof, but is now showing a disposition for an objective as wide as that for which the League in being aims. Just why tile United States will not fall into line with the nations associated already is not clear. But a praiseworthy effort has been made to establish the League on a sound basis. For tlie time being Great Britain is the principal bulwark to this great national combine, and the Empire will be proud to know that our statesmen and ambassadors play so worthy a part in the deliberations of the League. The constitution of the League has its short comings. So great a document could not he framed instanter to serve all countries" in the conditions they found themselves at the close of the war. One of the best signs affecting the ultimate value and of the League was the decision to admit certain enemy countries to the association of nations. One united family alone can secure universal peace, and tho principal parties to the League are working along those lines. The action in admitting enemy belligerent nations to the family circle is proof of the reality of tlie effort being made to give the world a lasting peace. Mr Lloyd George has summed up the opening session of the League in generous, hopeful terms, and there is but little doubt that the first conference was a great, long stride towards a right understanding among the nations This desire for peaceful negotiations was evidenced by the conciliatory ways in which certain alien nations gave way on vexed racial questions rather than assuming a dogmatic stand which might have cre-

sited premature ruptures. The wish to achieve something tangible was apparent, and the preliminary steps now taken, and the frank and open discussions which have ensued, will enable the nations’ representative to return to their own countries, and discuss their aims and aspirations in the light of the views expressed by sister nations which have something in common, r with the sproad of international intercource. As the name implies, all nations must lie associated and bound to a common i line of action to ensure the universal success of the League. That end is in view and accomplished it will be the i greatest event to mark the outcome of the war. If, therefore, the hopes for universal peace have not yet material- I ised, we must be content to whit in , patience, the deferment being ncces- j sary to allow the full scope of the world wide association to he better under- j stood and more genuinely believed in as | a panacea for i world peace. I

Of all the problems presented to the world as an outcome of the war, nothing is more serious than the industrial or labour unrest. It is usual where the cause for any trouble can be traced, to remedy the evil by going straight to the source of the difficulty, but in the labor question is involved the economic question, and this has been upset by numerous causes. Experts have named tile difficulties in detail, and realised to their own satisfaction exactly the primary causes of the trouble. But the causes are so complex that thtf task of straightening out the tangle is a matter only of patience and perseverance. The war took its terrible toll of human life. It used up the international wealth. It absorbed the world’s available supplies of some of the most needful commodities of every day use. This loss, this waste, this beggaring of nations, has left Europe much the poorer —in fact great nations heretofore are now almost hopelessly bankrupt. The world’s wealth has been cornered, and the' beggared are the needy ones who not only feel the pinch, but are as a break against continued world progress. The loss of man power has made the world all the poorer, and time alone can hope to retrieve this national loss. Wealth may bo recreated by labor and production, but the shortage of manpower, the destruction of. machinery, the scarcity and dearness of .staple products, all count adversely. In this extreme position many articles of daily, use by their very scarceness have gone to abnormal prices, and created that familiar condition now known as the high cost of living. Supplies are invariably short, because during the war period, surplus or reserve stocks were used-up, and the demand now exceeds the supply. Labor is looking naturally for improved conditions in the worldregeneration after the war. Labor has its leaders and their views and methods of attaining their desires are varied indeed. Organised labor takes far too often direct action to obtain its ends. It follows the ways of the highwayman of old, and holds up its victims. The strike weapon is far too freely used. Agreements are respected only so long as they suit. Labor seeks frequently to have the best of the bargain both ways. It invariably asks for more, and having got it,, if only l>v instalment, will then seek yet again for more. At this period-of crisis, when the world is calling out for more production, labor seeks to produce less. The go-slow policy is invoked too frequently ; shorter hours are desired and often obtained. Yet it is the laboring man who suffers most directly by these tactics. As Mr dynes has tersely said, “plenty is the greed of the worker,” and it is madness for workers as a class to seek to lessen production unduly and desire to restrain trade. To lessen supplies is to force up the price for what is produced, and this cost is heaviest on the working man who has less means to meet the changes his own action brings upon him in boomerang fashion. Under the League of Nations there is a charter by which international labor will obtain a common line of action. This is really one of the great features to come out of the war, but it is still in nebulous shape, because in each country, labor as established is carrying on its class war in its own way and to seek its own ends. There are pointers that the lenders if not the men are coming to a wiser understanding of the home position. This is so in the United States and the British Empire. There is consolation in the belief that the Englishspeaking races are capable of arriving at a better understanding on industrial gnd l labor questions. Evidence of this has been forthcoming by the sanity of the remarks at Home by the foremost leaders of Trades Unionism. There is evidence of it also in the United States, where employees are adapting themselves to national circumstances. They are accepting the inevitable peaceably without attempting to kick against the pricks. This international educaion on the foundation of ali that counts for national greatness —the sane and regular application of labor to the needs ot tile, country—is surely a material advance along the high road to industrial peace, which accomplished, will ensure prosperity.

The dying year has witnessed but little outward change in the economic question. "National finance is perhaps the most important question of the moment. Tlie year lias seen the- countries add generally to their liabilities rather than seek to reduce them. -Money values are governed by exchange rates, and these vary according to a nation’s financial backing. It lias been the custom to add materially to the national debt wherever possible. This has deflated money values, and added interest burdens which entail raising more and more revenue to meet same. Economy is conspicuous by its absence, or rather is displaced by extravagance. There will be a. counter blast to all that in the year to come. The financial position now is so generally acute, that the coming year will bring with it much general concern as to how the countries arc going to puss through the striugency with the least discomfort. There ca n be no reduction in taxation. On the contrary there is more likely to he an increase, hut most likely through indirect channels. Sooner rathei than later, if the position is to be boldly and bravely faced, there must be retrenchment. The pruning knife will be used to all classes of labor. The stringency will create unemployment which perhaps will nob be the least of the evils to follow in the readjusting of tlie balances. The fact is wartimes and war

prices for commodities have given the folk too great a taste for reckless spending. The money enme easily and surely, and it was spent as readily. There was not evidence of that amount of thrift that there ' should have been. The falling prices will affect all walks of life, but it will be a phase of readjustment only, for as the nations retrieve themselves they will the better enter into the world’s trade- again, and become customers on the open market. This adjustment of trade will be a painful process in some respects, but it seems to be an inevitable ordeal ahead, and the nations should prepare for the contingency betimes. The nations have been given food lor thought on this all,'important subject by the resolutions reached by the Internation Financial Conference held at Brussels lately. The world position has been reviewed, with great clearness, and those disposed to realise the true situation have a clarified view placed before them. International trade Is the keystone to the complete arch of international life. It must bo available as the means to provide labor, money and commodities which go to supply the requirements of convenient living. There is a call for the nations now so helpless financially that they cannot trade in the world’s markets, to adopt a security of internal conditions which will permit of production, the commodities of which will assure a foreign trade, and thereby bring in money which will be the staple supply for greater production, meaning more employment and greater home comforts. The economic question rears its head at every stage in the development of international trade. .Credits and exchanges are barriers which will require to be overcome by more elastic methods of trading. The capacity of statesmanship will be tested to tbe fullest in the ordeal, but nevertheless it is expedient for some revised line of action to be taken. In some'countries stores are bulging with held up stocks of primary products. They are eating their heads off, so to speak, in interest and other charges, while the fact that those commodities are not being turned into manufactured articles, helps to Jvccp the world’s supply short, and as a consequence prices for necessities rule high in many countries. Here is a direct instance of cause- and effect, yet the supply is there to meet the demand, if a- trading system of commercial credits can be devised to meet the situation. This is not beyond the bounds of practical politics. It is preferable to inflate currencies at tbe back of such credits than * behind homo credits which haVe no tangible security regarding the ultimate sale price. A currency inflated against deferred outside credits is better also than borrowing credits at home, even if 'the interest payments are kept within the -home circle. The flow, of' trade, outward and inward is the true test of national prosperity, creating wealth and employment and aiding the- further .development of the country. It will be towards this goal the world at large must aim during the coming year, and a revival in trade in that direction—which will be tbe salvation of the financial problems ahead—may ho expected according to the outward signs with a good deal of confidence.

During the past veanour own country lias been ' drawn more and more into the vortex of the world situation as an outcome of the war. Indeed New Zealand is a conspicuous example of the proof of what has iboen set down in the foregoing to the world position. In the war period, distant as we were front the seat of action, we were far removed from the zone of immediate effects. Besides as a country producing raw products for manufacture we had an unsatisfied market taking all we .could produce to help fill the maw of war. Great wealth flowed into the country for the purchase of our products. It was a tremendous cash transaction for our best customer was the Imperial Government. But with the ending of the war period, and the passing of the need for so mucli # of our products, the demand ceased largely and our stores began to fill rapidly because there was no one with the credit available to purchase our special surplus commodities. There are countries in Europe which would realilv aecept our raw material, if New Zealand were prepared to do the business on loud Or deferred terms of payment. .Speaking in the House of Commons about a week ago, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, who has the faculty of keeping his finger on the pulse of things, when speaking on the unemployment question in England, painted a gloomy picture of Contir.enfal conditions in Europe. He declared unless the wfft-ld was restored to more normal conditions, the problems of unemployment in Britain will be past grappling with. The customers of Britain, lie said, were insolvent. England was the prosperous shop-keeper with his windows full of goods, hut the customers outside were unable to buy Irecause they were bankrupt. In a lesser degree, so far as volume is concerned, that is the relative position of New Zealand to the outside markets, and the task is for our statesmen td overcome the obvious difficulties which are presenting themselves. Sir Robert Stout, tile other day reviewing the national outlook, urged the community at large to do two things— to think seriously and to live thriftily. By the first method folk will realise the seriousness of the situation, and the need for facing it on right lines. By the second the people must come to understand the desirability of self-denial which is the sure root for a healthy condition of thrift. Just as we .call for financial reform to help mend matters, so must we have moral restraint on the part of the people to' back up those reforms thoroughly. It has been said of economy that it is in itself no less than the Government,: There has got to be a

good deal of internal reform to help colonial finance. The extravagance in departments must he curtailed in particular. These charges have risen abnormally and must needs he cut down unsparingly. A country like an individual must live within its income. We ■ have tried to live within our resources, but our debt lias climbed up far beyond oven that measure of solvency. A great portion of our income to come is mortgaged ahead by the enormous borrowing which lias gone on. The country is being pledged mostly in undetermined subsidies and bonuses to provide by nrti-

fieial means for producers, a parity of prices on a war basis rather than on peace times. The wealth of the .war period* has censed, but we are still seeking to live, at the same high rate of expenditure. The country by its form of present government is seeking to take more out of the treasury than it is putting in, and the system can not last long. The coming year and what it is bringing in its train, will end that form of financial madness. The people will require to be more self-reliant, to live more within their means, and to look to themselves rather than the Government to solve their immediate needs. New Zealanders have had to face stringent times in the past. They must face j them again in the near future. But the. position is not hopeless. Indeed, in this rich fair country the outlook calls for optimism rather than pessimism. The, Dominion is capable of extricating itself successfully, but there will be a period of painful travail, and the folk by self-reliance, by thrift, by serious 'economies, and by the resolve to produce more and more will pass through the time of anxiety with the certainty of good times ahead again. New Zealand’s productivity is remarkable, and | in that latent wealth lies tile hope of the future of this fair land. Let the captains of industry, the leaders of organised labour, and the Government representing the people as a whole, get together in the right atmosphere, and an indusf|rial and producing policy could be formulated which will lift, t'lic country to greater heights than even yet achieved. We have got to get back to normal times. The abnormal concliI tions are too disturbing to be helpful.

It is the average on which the safe and sound calculations are to be based. Those average times are coming nearer, and the country will he the better for passing through an era less extravagant, less riotious than the times immediately past which sapped so much of our national strength, though most fortunately of all it has not weakened the national fibre. The trials we are passing through, like the war itself, proved the stall’ our nation is made of, and therein lies the hope of the' future — the courage to face facts and deal with them determinedly*

In tli£ past year, Westland lias been immune, almost from the ripples which have radicated from the financial circles abroad. We are still dealing mostly in natural products, and nnturejs bounty is not affected by happenings abroad. Even secondary industries are not a mainstay here, and so we reap direct from nature lavishly for our industrial occupations. Farming, sawmilling, and gold-mining cover the main occupations of the people, and each sphere lias had a busy round for the year. Farming devoted mainly to pastoral pursuits, has become more soundly established and the produce grows in value. Sawmilling is expanding in a remarkable way, and Westland promises to become one of the chief centres for timber supply for long years to come. Mining is still restricted, by the price of gold, and the indifference of the country to an active mining policy to ensure Elie expansion of gold mining ns it has done with all forms of agriculture remains a matter of comment. Westland so highly mineralised as it is known to be, is left by the authorities very much to itself, and the preliminary examination done by the geologists, are not being profited by as they should. The pioneers revealed numbers of easily worked gold lead, and the geologists were content to report negatively on these. Something more positive regarding extensions of so-called worked out. fields is necessary, and a thorough- investigation of maiden country in the hills where the matrix originally came from is needed, and there is scope for the existing Department which at present continues to be one chiefly in name onjy. This is an oft-voiced complaint, and it is seasonable to repeat it now on the threshold of a new year, the experience of which will call for the production of more and more material wealth to hack the country’s credit. Gold will be the safest and soundest backing the country can hold behind its obligations, and its recovery from the hidden places of nature should become a first duty of the State anxious to maintain as certainly as possible its good name with the world at large. Westland in its mineral prospects has a great future before it, if the enterprise be hut •shown in winning from nature the vast wealth still stored in this western sea bound. Westland played its part in the early settlement of New Zealand by attracting with its magic deposit of gold streams of good settlers, who remained to build the country to its present national potentialities. Its mineral deposits are far from being exhausted and it is conceivable to believe that its day of good service in advertising abroad the wealthy resources of the country wi! come to pass again. Westland has an improving period ahead of it. Its means of communication will soon be perfected by the opening of railway traffic under the Southern Alps, whose snow-capped heights have been an impassable barrier for heavy 7 transport. That hat- is soon to ho overcome, and a portal opened whence will flow a steady stream of trade and commerce which will lift the Coast ahead by 7 leaps and hounds. Westland will partake richly in those good times. It has native resources which will help it materially and it must prosper exceedingly. The future is therefore,-a bright one, and the advantage* of securing direct facilities for outside trade cannot come too soon, both for the benefit of the district and the Dominion at large. We hope the coming year will carry us very near to the realisation of these golden prospects, and to aid towards that end the people should ho alert to the position and strike unceasingly to enlist the active co-operation of all concerned in completing the East and West Coast railway in the shortest time possible. With an outlook so hopeful of good things for the community we can wish our readers with all sincerity A HAPPY NEW YEAR .

Tile Postmaster, Boss, advises that the mail from Waiho Gorge which was delayed through a slip on the Main South Road reached Hess yesterday | afternoon. The Nev.' Zeabimi Diggers wlio bad such a successful season here last Fell- ! ruary arc making a return visit to the Coast and will appear at tile Princess j Theatre on Feb. 2nd. and "3rd. The members of St Paul’s Methodist are having a special service in St Paul's Methodist Church on 2nd Jan. singing from the Y.P< Nhw H.ymal. Don’t miss this service if you are not going elsewhere. The New Big River Gold Mine returns for the months of November and December are: Battery, 532 oxß 5 dwts, melted gold from 525 tons. Cyanide 43 ozs 18 dwts bulliorf from 250 tons of

.02642. On Saturday (New Year’s Day) evening the Scotch concert arranged by the Caledonian Society takes place in the Princess Theatre. 'A splendid musical programme lias been arranged and will prove a fitting wind up to tlie day’s festivities. Popular prices, will prevail. Two fresli record were made in the Plunket Shield cricket match between Hawke’s Bay and Auckland. It was tlie first occasion on which a debutant in representative cricket (C. A. Snedden) had scored a century, _ and the second that it was the first game in which two brothers (N.O. and C. A. Snedden) made a century 7 each in a shield match innings.

In a recent two-up raid in Sydney an innocent was found in bed. On being awakened lie rubbed his eyes and —knocked his pince-nez off. He had also overlooked his collar and tie. The top had to be knocked off a dog kennel to extract another, and the other pupils of the school got on to the roof niid were about to jump when a constable stood underneath with a pitchfork, and kept them high and dry until they 7 were corralled.

An exciting incident happened to a coast station manager in the Waiapu district. Whilst out cattle hunting lie was' treed by a wild cow for three hours. Tlie animal was very persistent in its attentions, but luckily some long supplejacks, which had been cut at the bottom of the tree by 7 underscritbhers, were hanging from the tree. From one of these vines, the captive made a lassoo, and after considerable manoeuvring, managed to drop it over the animal's head. After a strenuous struggle of ten minutes he managed to choke the cow to death. Profound excitement stirred the quietude of an Aushburton street on Wednesday, morning when a nervous horse, harnessed to a cart laden with aerated water bottles, made up its mind to speed limit. Though a wheel of the cart had been tied by the driver before he left it outsido a shop, the horse made g<sod progress at a dangerous pace clown Burnett Street, much to the noisy agitation of the load of lemonade bottles behind him. The incident might have proved decidedly “upsetting” but for the presence of mind of a passer-by 7 who wa» able to catch hold of the tail of the cart and clijmbi over to' the reins, eventually reducing the “rattling good pace” of the horse to a steady jog-trot.

A peculiar case of cruelty and assault came before the Police Court at Feilding last week. It was stated that a man named Stanley Fonseca, an employee at the Denbigh Hotel Fpilding, entered the. kitchen of the establishment, when.lie tripped over a eat. His anger was aroused at tho accident, and before the Hindu cook, wlio was present in the. kitchen, could intervene, Fonseca had killed the animal with a knife. Incensed at the cook’s protests concerning his act "of cruelty, tlie accused seized a couple of knives and threw them at the cook. One of the missiles grazed tho cheek of the man, while tho other stuck into the wall behind him. On tho charge of assault accused was fined £5 in default, fourteen days’ imprisonment, and for cruelty to tho cat ho was fined £1 in default, seven days’ imprisonment.

A story of the Gordon Highlanders: —“The last time that I was in Calcutta, the Gordon Highlanders had just relieved ail English regiment in the fort, and bn the first Sunday after their arrival four Hundred Gordon Highlanders were marched to a parade service at St Anddrew’s. The most optimistic mosquito had never in liis wildest dreams imagined such a succulent banquet as that afforded by four hundred bare-kneed, kilted Highlanders, and the mosquitoes made the fullest use of their unique opportunity.- Soon the church resounded with the vigorous clapping of hands on bare knees and thighs, as the men endeavoured to kill a few of their little tormentors. The minister, hearing the loud clapping, but entirely misapprehending its purpaused in his sermon and said: “M.v brethren, it is verra gratifying to a minister of the Word to learn that his remarks meet with the approbation of his hearers, but I’d have you remember that all applause is strictly oot of place in the Hoosc of God.”'”

The initial performance of the evergreen Mitsical Comedy ; “The Geisha” by the Grey mouth "amateurs at the. Opera House, Greymoutli, says the “Argus” was presented last evening to a crowded house, and was an instant success. Surprise has been expressed on all sides at the degree of artistic merit attained not only by the principals, but also by the chorus, and one was prepared to applaud a much less ambitious effort than was presented last night. The production was under the guiding hand- of Tom Pollard, the veteran producer, who said ho never had any qualms as to the high degree of proficiency possible with those who associated themselves with him' and, as lit* naively said he would give Grey-, mouth a surprise, so he was as good as i his word. The whole opera went with a fine swing from the rise to the fall of the curtain. The scenic arrangement was appropriate and pretty, the dresses gorgeous, the lighting effects perfect, the choruses and ensemblies crisp and tuneful, while the work of the orchestra, under the conductorship of Mr H. Hawkins was of the first water. . Brisk demand for NO RUBBING Laundry Help in Is cartons.' The abolisher of washboard slavery.

Messrs Baxter Bros. Humphreys invite offers for formation of forty chains of tram at their mill. Handicaps for the Westland Trotting Club’s meeting are due on Monday ‘ evening, and acceptances will be received up to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the meeting taking place on the Hokitika racecourse on Wednesday. The mebers of St Paul’s Methodist Ladies’ Guild, have decided to hold their annual sale of plain and / work early in March 1921. and 'helpers keep a sharp look out' for" the dale.—Advt. Mr Scddon M.P. was advised yesterday that Mr Birks, Chief Electrical Engineer for the Dominion will be leaving Wellington on the 17th; January for the Coast to inspect hydro-electric power propositions. Mr Seddon has decided to await Mr Birks’ arrival be-

fore going north again so as to accompany 7 the’ engineer to the various points to be investigated. A final reminder is given of the Caledonian Sports gathering on Cass Square to-morrow commencing at noon The attractive programme arranged is engaging much interest, and-a very large attendance of visitors is expected. Many competitors are coming from the north and there will be spirited competition. The -Town Band and Pipers Band will enliven the day’s proceedings with programmes of music. “My experience is that New Zealand is the cheapest place, in the world today to live in, and this can be borne out by people who -have travelled through the ppuntries I have visited, ( states. Mr Phil Myers, of Wellington, after making a world tour). If the people of this Dominion would only travel and find out more about what is going on in other countries, they would be.more satisfied with New Zealand and tlie conditions obtaining here.”

The "recent meeting of the Westland Racing Club is expected to show a profit of over .£7OO. ’All branches of receipts showed an increase. By increasing the stakes so substantially the Club anticipated the improved totalisator returns and thus prevented itself showing a four figure surplus. It is expected that for next year *the Club will, again increase the stakes, and give an amount not less than .that distributed in the jubilee year when the Club offered a record sum for a two day’s meeting. Tlie summer programme next year will probably contain eight • events for each day. In the interim during the coming year the club will undertake the formation of an inside sand training track. This will involve another cutting through the hill. This work, when completed, will be the pre- . liminary to widening the racing track for the increased fields expected when the East and West Coast railway'is an

accomplished fact. It can well bo understood that the . recent meeting of the Westland Racing Club was a financial success. The Club however, anticipated the success to some extent as the stakes were increased for the late meeting by £350. A total of £IBOO was given in cash, as also the silver clip, which by the way was liberally subscribed to by the local licensed victuallers. While the horse owners who provided the nucleus of the sport received £IBOO, the ment draw in taxation from the meeting £1215 17s od. In point of fact the Government take almost 27 per cent of the gross receipts, and not satisfied with this liberal contribution, pro-, cose in future to appropriate the fractions, or odd money, from the.totalb sator. and will levy on the clubs for income tax, although there "is not a proprietary club in the Dominion, each having to give in stakes every year, a Biiin of not less than (lie amount derived from the totalisatjor. It is evident that the Government is not sparing the sporting public when money is being raised by taxation. When it is considered the. revenue reaped through sport by the railways, post and telegraphs etc, it will be seen that “the sport of kings” {supplies a great dealmore than wliat might be considered a. fair share in the way of revenue to the consolidated fund. ’ ’jt : 'jLCnptaiiis Dickson and Isitt of the yoJ-kburn aerodrome, Canterbury, motored to Hokitika from Christchurch yesterday, and were guests at the Red Lion Hotel last night; Both officers had considerable flying experience during the war period, amj it will be recalled that recently Captain Dickson was the first to fly from Christchurch to Wellington and back. The gentlemen are on an official trip at present to personally inspect the country between here and Nelson. Afterwards

they will motor from Nelson via Blenheim to Christchurch, and map out the country- traversed. This morning the visitors were met by the Deputy Mayor, County Chairman, Chairman of the Progress 'League, - and others, and the possibilities of an East and West Coast flight dismissed. Tlie racecourse was visited as to its suitability as a landing place, but it is understood the buildings detract from its value as a landing place in all winds. Afterwards Sea View Hill and the Golf Links, and other points were visited. Subsequently the visitors departed north by motor and will go through to Reefton to-night. Speaking of the possibilities of an Australian flight, the visitors said a special machine would: require to be built to cross the Tasman ocenn. Tlie machine would cost probably £1,500. It was not considered a difficult trip, and would he less boisterous than a trans Atlantic journey. Tli 0 flight to New Zealand would be easier than the return trip, owing to the prevailing winds. As regards East and West Coast travelling, the journey^ should be possible in a little over - fin hour’s flight, and presented no difficulties so long as suitable landing places were available. It was hoped in time to arrange for a chain of these at intervals of about 200 miles along the Coast for the safety and accommodation of aerial flights. - ~ . y