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Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1921, Page 2

The report of the County Chairman on Stnt* 1 Forestry proposals read at Tuesday’s mooting of the Westland County Council, put tho position for the district very plainly when it was indicated that Westland was to he made in the main a State Forestry conservatory or preserve for the rest of New Zealand- This was to ho accomplished willy-nillv so far as the long suffering

residents of Westland were concerned. The State with its august powers and cl under the dominance of an autocratic h Minister, was going to take what it : wanted and leave a beggarly remnant lor the people to develop. A very strong ease was made out, why Westland, if it is to loso two-thirds of its territory for Dominion purposes should bo recompensed in such a way that it will be in a position to more intensively develope t the remaining third of the .country. The ; t way the provisional State I orests have i t gridironed the whole countryside, how- | • ever, means that much more than the t two million acres are absorbed actually. Westland already is pockmarked with i scenic reserves, national endowments, | and other similar territorial sanction-- i I ies, but these pass into •insignificance ! f when compared with the all pervading • impost oi the State forest country. \\ t' j I ventured to say that a much larger j . portion than two thirds of the country j is now converted into Crown area, to j be held chiefly as vast reservations, i which may not bo touched or developed I , for the next generation or two. What i effect his stagnation policy will have on j , the district as a whole can be imagined. ! Progress will lie retarded, ibe hack i country will remain in its virgin state, j . The people will allow the great tracts ol I , country to be unproductive and merely a store house for unborn millions. It j Westland is to lie segregated from the f rest of New Zealand in this way, the ) people who came and settled here with , other opinions about the'possibilities of ! the place, and who remained here spend jug their lives and their means to help forge the place ahead against the odds they have encountered, then there is every justice in Mr Murdoch’s claim for the special monetary consideration to Westland under the forestry policy • of tho Dominion.

A very useful proposal is afoot to seek to provide a motor ambulance for the Westland Hospital to , serve till parts of the County where the vehicle can be taken as occasion may require. The horse ambulance has done good servico in its way, hut times are changing. In the case of accident, and sudden illness it is often a moment to get the patient speedily to the hospital. If a call was made front Ross, the horse ambulance would he doing very well if it did the journey , there and hack in six or seven hours. ; On the other hand a, motor ambulance | could perforin the same service in a couple of hours. This difference of font or five hours might mean the difference j between life and death to many a patient. The idea is a- progressive one, , and it calls for favorable support from j tho people at large. We notice a puli- | lie meeting is to be held, and a com- j mittee is to he set up to bring the pro- , jeet to a head. One proposal is to j build ft garage at the hospital, and re- > tnin the vehicle there on call. It would j he preferrable to store the ambulance-j at a. town garage, where a competent , driver could he obtained at per trip, j This is a matter for future considera- , ion when going into the details of the j cost, hut it appears to us such a propos- j ill as is here made, would lie an econ- | omical way of controlling the use of j the vehicle. As to the raising of the j funds, the most liberal response woijjd i he expected from the country districts, . for it would he mainly for the benefit of tlfose residing at a distance whom | the speedier vehicle would serve best. , The snwmilling and other industrial (>n- , terprises to he possibly served hv the accelerated service, should liberally support the project, and no doubt the settlers would help readily also. A motor ambulance could range quickly over tho district from the Wailto to Otira. and within that area, properly organised, a liberal contribution should lie raised very speedily. As the Government will substitute the donations to the extent of 24s for every -Cl privately given, the amount needed should in point of fact he quickly raised.