The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, SEPT. 17th, 1921. THE WEEK .

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, SEPT. 17th, 1921. THE WEEK .

At the County Council meeting this week tho position revealed at Rocfton by the slackness of the coal tisde, while it had the sympathy of members, tlie practical help could not lie extended to assist the Inangahua County (Vnuicil in attending the proposed toil, fere nee on principle. The position in regard to the coal trade, has long ago passed into a national issue, and as a licit the matter is in the hands. of the Government. When tho coal miners in their organised way shortened supplies to tho point of famine conditions, and iv duced the supply outlook to n state of mdus-

trial parlousuess at the "ill of the workmen, the Government had to take action. They followed the line of least resistance, and went round rather than over the obstacle presenting itself. To make good the shortage in New Zealand thev began to buy con! anywhere and import it from where they could. Cost was no object, for the coal had to he obtained at any price. We have hut to Tollect on the plight of the thousands of people "ho lor two winlers were practically without :;ileqnnt ( > supplies of fuel. Ihe personal i.*uonvenienco endured it is difficult to realise. Lighting institutions and power supplies were on short commons. Industry was vitally threatened in all directions. The Government had to take the action they did, and doing so circumvented the coal miners’ efforts to hear local supplies. Now there is an excess of coal, n.nd the pinch is being felt at the other end of the scale, hut though it is to he regretted as much as the shortage itself, the whole position is the creation of the miners’ action, and the people who have had to pay all the time, are not likely now t> force flic Government to change a policy which saved the domestic an 1 industrial fertimes of the country in a. very trying time.

Tun effort of the Westland bounty Council to interest public bodies concerned in hospital subsidies to agitate for a more equitable standard of distribution has met with a. very satisfactory response throughout the Dominion. The large number of letters received at Tuesday’s meeting of the local Council from bodies in all parts of New Zealand indicates that they are alert to the importance of the issue which has been raised. The point is that the revision of the subsidy payment should he allocated! on a more ctpiitahlo basis. In the aggregate the Government contributes half of the imt maintenance of hospitals in the Dominion. The scheme a-s applied has acted very unfairly—“ With gross unfairness’’ was the language of the Into Commission. The unfairness was in giving to wealthy districts whose hospital requirements could he met hv a small rate, a larger subsidy than to poorer districts requiring to .strike a heavy rate. As an illustration of this tlie late Commission on the subject pointed out that Stratford with a rate of levy of less than one-tenth of a penny in the £ received a £1 Government subsidy, while Westland with a rate levy of 'one. penny and an eighth of a penny received only 19s 3d subsidy. It is clear that the present scale of subsidies should he repealed and a. fairer scheme adopted. The principle to he considered is “the heavier burden of a Board’s requirements on the rateable capital value, the higher the subsidy.” This principle in point of of fact the Commission has endorsed and believes it should range from a maximum lof 2<is to a minnium of 14s. Tlie Governent) Hill proposes 30s to 10s hut it is feared the latter will he dropped, and the move by the Westland County Council was to get the general support of the local bodies to the Government proposals. The support is very satisfactory and it is Imped it will he influential enough to carry away when Parliament meets. Aiuutr from the very instructive character ;of the lecture this week on Arthur’s Pass Tunnel, the views lisplayed on the screen were very interesting. Tim slides were all remarkably dear, and the detail brought out by the excellent light, showed up the e.vellencies of the photography. The scenic views were a line example of \\ estland’s Beauty spots, and the suggestion was made that the Progress T oague should have a, series of views prepared for exhibition outside the district to advertise Westland scenery. Just now on the eve of the summer season when tourists and holiday makers will he on the move, it would he an opportune time to publish our attractions abroad. This could bo done with very good advantage by arranging to display the slides on the picture screens at Christchurch and elsewhere ‘during the intervals at tile movies. It, would he money well spent, for it would work up the interest of th(* Canterbury people »u tlie West, whither we hope in the near future East C’castors wil home trcfjping in their thousands. Week by week crowds of people would see the views at the picture palaces, and the scenery of the district would enjoy a. splendid advertisement, Another excellent suggestion we heard mentioned was that the facts and figures contained in Mr Cowing’s lecture should he printed in pamphlet form and circulated among the C'antorburyWesthuul schools, so as to give the scholars a more lively interest in the great tunnel which is to ho something of a. link divine in uniting the two great territories so long kept apart by the mountain harrier. The rising generation should he well and accurately informed of tlie great work which is destined to do such wonders for the fu’ler ndvaneenient of the South Island.

Tiin Arthur’s Pass tunnel has been described as the portal of Westland's future prosperity. Tint the tunnel will cause, also, further responsibilities to fall on the people in the matter of nation building. With the completion

of the tunnel and the final linking up j of the. railways east and west, the < last complaint of isolation will he removed. While we will thus come into a common heritage with the rest of the Dominion, we will have to bear a more important position in the national life. Our district will have opportunities to expand. Wo must avail ourselves of tho great chance which will open up. The district should begin to build up now, so ns to be ready for the now era. The town itself will become more important. It will be a larger railway centre. The goods traffic will increase enormously. There will he ait immediate accession of trade Population will flow in. Nothing is being done vet to set the house in order; to prepare to cater for the increased population, and the growing trade. The country district should similarly prepare for brighter and busier times. The district will have the faci- ! iities at hand for a considerable export of products. ’1 here will be tin* natural products of the district to he sent out in hulk. Pastoral produce in stock and in kind will go away in the greater 1 volume to the metropolitan markets which will he at our doors then so to 'speak. Thc.se possibilities are only about a year away now. If the Government would get the necessary spurt on, they would ho loss than a year away, so that the people should wake up betimes and he prepared to take the fullest advantage of the greatly improved times which are coming. Thk proposals pot before the £ oont> Council this week in regard to an effort to secure the bridging of the AVaiho river were adopted neiii eon. This absence of opposition may be taken as complete agreement with the proposal, which is certainly a step forward. The prop.o-nl for the Council to find £2,000 for the work is an earnest of the desire to see the bridge erected. Likewise it discloses a self-reliant policy, i desire to help the district. The move is the fnost important the Council has yet taken. In the ease of the bridging of tlie Alikoniii river, the Council spontaneously found £I,OOO. Now a sum of .£2.000 is offered to the Government as evidence of sincerity in asking for the bridge. These are substantial figures and indicate tbit the local body is adopting a forward police. Nor is its desire to help local development confined only to the works just mentioned. Last year it found about £I.OOO liv loan for works in the Inter Wanganui district, and the Council is paying back the principal out of its income- the settlers being called on for the interest only. At the moment the Council has before the ratepayers of South Westland loan proposals for i bridge at- Kakapotahi to cost £LoOO The local luidy in these times of financial stringency is thus doing its Lest to help itself. As regards the AVaiho proposal, the matter will go before the Government this month. Parliament opens very shoitly and when the members have assembled a deputation will wait on the .Minister of Public Works to seek authority for the work. Air AAard County Chairman, is to he in Wellington before the end of the month, and will join the deputation in pressing for a favorable view. As the County rate pavers are disposed to help themselves so fully, there is eveiv encouragement for the Government to route forward and lend a helping hand. The AAaiho bridge will be a great boon to the south people.

i Thu good news conveyed through the 1 .Member lor We. Aland to the southern ' people yoslciday. that the Government had approved a Under for the erection of the Little Wanganui bridge, would he very acceptable in all parts ot the district. The crossing lias always been a difficult one for motor traffic, and it is growing mere so of late. 11a' recent groyne put in up stream as a Inundation for the bridge approach has had tlie tendency to confine tlie waters more tljn heretofore, with the result that the stream has been making of late a deeper bed for herself. There was a prospect. therefore, ot a more difficult time than ever this summer for motor cars to attempt to cross the river. This difficulty it is hoped will soon he removed tor all time by the erection of the bridge or rather the first section of it. There should be no undue delay about the building of the structure. The hardwood and the large steel rods are now at Grey month and require transport to the bridge site only. This j s very satisfactory, and avoids the long delays required to specially import the material from Australia. Most of the native timber required for the bridge is cut already, and the hulk of it is on the ground. There are thus the ftiiciliities for the contractor to make rapid progress. Two spans are to he greeted in the first instance on the north side of tho grossing to span the main body of the water, and if this can he done within the next three | months it will la' most satisfactory for the season's motor traffic south. The Government has: acted very wholoI heartedly in this matter, and it remains now only for the Public AAorks TVpurtincut to endeavour to have the firstsection of the work rushed along, so that the urgently necessary section of , the bridge might lie available for vchiclo traffic for tin? i\o\y year.

I Tiik cancellation of tlie conference on the Irish question, owing to the exI trotne attitude of the do Valera party ! to have a republic or nothing, reduces j the issue to l»ed rock. As far as eun be I inferred from the general news received the republican idea is a minority ;oi|iiost and Irishmen generally would ho ! put in a position they actually abhor I wore it accomplished. On the other hand. there is no doubt Air l.loyd George, on behalf of Great Britain went a very long way to secure a peaceful solution of the position. The British overtures are generally endorsed by the : world’s press, so that it may bo •!<•- copted that Britain has made a supremo effort. An impasse has resulted. It is clear that Britain will not give way further on the point at issue, so thero is an absolute deadlock. Ireland, of i course, cannot remain in the present | unsettled condition, and the next step ' will indicate what is proposed to redeem ’ the situation. Authority cannot ho flaunted with impunity all the time, „o that a crucial decision has to _ bo made It was on the cards a little while ago that the Prime Minister

would consult the electors on the

question per means of a general elec- ( tion. It is very clear however that an overwhelming mandate would Ik* given i the Government on such an issue, and j that being ski the Government will probably avoid the cost of an election, and move otherwise. There must of course ho some alternative to drastic, action. That alternative rests with the Trish people. The tyrannous fear imposed by tbc rebel party lias up to the present stifled an expression of public opinion. Perhaps now at the supreme moment of the crisis it might lie heard, for it is the only wav to avoid the obvious disaster, looming ahead if nothing reasonable is attempted to solve tlie position.