The Hokitika Guardian SATERDAY SEPTEMBER 2lth, 1921 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATERDAY SEPTEMBER 2lth, 1921 THE WEEK.

Tun Queensland mining disaster is a most unpleasant piece of news this week. On this Coast we can unfortunately, butr- appreciate too keenly what such a terrible catastrophe means. Between 70 and 80 men in the prime ol life were entombed and the explosions were so catastrophic that there is no hope of rescuing any alive. As usual in these terrible occurrences, the brightest spot is the readiness with which .succour Js rendered. Men work liter-

ally for dear life and the brightest, trait ill humanity shines forth. \\ itll III! the changes that have taken place of ljito, the lends and the schisms which appear to lie rendering society, tincall of humanity call still he answered right nobly. Tlu*ro is thus occasion to fc.-l that all is not wrong with tinworld after all. That deep down in our hearts and minds there are the promptings and the emotions which count tor all that is best in biiinan nature, and with faith and works to Imck up that faith, all will yet be right with the world and we skull know it again as we once knew it before, sane and t- 1-rant. :ml goo I]la- et > live and work in. 1 lie mining disaster will have a lu-aw liability behind in the wives ami children bereft of their bread winner. There will be the <:i 11 tor financial help, ami no part (if New Zealand we are persuaded, will be behind hand when the appeal is made. As is usual, the cause of the direful explosion is wrapped in mystery. The key to the situation however seems to I ■ tin- use of naked lights. This freedom underground with possibilities which recur all too often is a long time impressing itself nil good sense. Probably this is another lesson as to tin risks run risks which could tie avoided bv the obvious precautions in regard to underground lighting.

Tun Si’KFCii of the Gnvermir-Geiieral with which Parliament opened. was not remarkable for any iu-ins of surprise or special interest. Tin- usual record of ancient history was recounted in tin- customary solemn form, even the intimation uf the advent <d 11.M.8 ( b'llinin to these waters many months ago being re, orded. 'I In- Specdi, ;-t least, strikes call opluuMir note as to improving < oiidit ion-, and il the market price of frozen meat will rise to a reasonable level, and tin- demand for wool Ik- eijuai to let alone in excess of. the annual supply, some oi the mure serious problems facing the Government at the moment will he solved w itli less difficulty. There is oi course to be the new tariff. and this will be introduced probably with every little delay, seeing that revenue is badly wanted. Fresh legislation is to include a consolidation of the land laws. The amendment indicated lo the Mortgages Extension Act will be of great importance, and interest will centre round the niiiemlllieiit to the law of libel, and with local bodies, to the Arterial Highways Hill. Of special interest to this district will he the Forestry Hill—which may aim at further locking up laud in this territory, the urgent need for which is development and more development. The community should be forewarned oil this point and be alert to the possibilities, if not the probabilities, of the occasion There is evidently going to be a large amount of general legislation, confirming the belief ii, to u pratraited session - but one w hich should In- of much interest to the people of New Zealand at large.

Ykt another disaster, more shocking than that of Queensland. is reported from Germany this week. The-distance the locality is removed | erlia| dulls our interest, but we can hardly d’.ull on the account of the nu ll 1 catastrophe without realising how shot king it was. A whole countryside lias liecn devastated. There are over a thousand victims anil many more injured. The loss ami destruction of property will be enormous. The event appears to have happened nvitli tragic suddenness. There was no forewarning, simply the thunderous explosion, and death and disaster in its train. Before such cataclysms of destruction we cun Hut stand appalled, and realist" but how often is their division between life and death. The particulars of the catastrophe in Germany indicate what a terrible upheaval was created by what must, have been an explosion of titian force. No doubt the scientists will arrive at uini'e explanation as to the cause of the direful disaster, which was evidently the result of an scape tf gas in a location where dangerous gns"s are being treated with undue familiarity. The two instninj's Queensland and Germany are most prolmhi.v attributable to the freedom with which the workmen act in going about their work, unmindful of the lurking danger. It is a terrible price to pay for the knowledge gained about latent dangers which scientific cuntini] .should have made plain long ago, and also introduced reasonable precautions to Vope with siK'li tragic possibilities as come to pass through carelessness or neglect.

I’AItUA.MK.vr which opened this week liegan mi the customary lines—not even omitting the amendment to the \ddress-in-Roply. This latter is pro--1,n1.1v more of an ell'ort to consolidate I lie Opposition in the House officially than anything else. There are at least four divisions in the Opposition, and if three of them would agree to march under one banner no doubt .Ur A\ ilt'ord would lie pleased. He may lie expected to raise the Liberal-Labour banner and seek to draw the discordant parties together. The Opposition to be effective requires to be organised. At present it is sadly disorganised. It lias elements of considerable strength It has men of ability capable of dealing with all the vexed questions of the hour. It has behind it the great traditions of tlio past—-ii record of per-

onnaiu-es which are referred to with 1 a ide to-day even by those who opposed ( i mlitically many of the measures which < irouglit the old Party swell fame. Tin" ] principal cause for disagreement among , the rank and file at the moment is < aver the question of leadership. Ordi- j - miril.v this is n matter which a caucus , might settle by a straight-out vote, > but tile recalcitrants apparently will not agree- owing to personal prejudices—to this simple method oi settlement. The time is om- for |< rsoiial feeling to | be submerged. Til itstanding prillciplc of Liberalism is “tilt? greatest good fur the greatest number.” and the same tiling should apply within the ranks of the fighting Liberals. 1 oless the members lend a willing ear to the up peal to reason, the Party will go oil drifting a useless spent force, the in-. |,emit cause for which ,-nines from within. Once tile Party showed a united front there would be no doubt about the rally of the people to the old lamiliar standard. Tun time is peculiarly ripe for the Opposition in organise its forces and present a united front. The mis-govern-nient of tile recent past in particular lias bad its effect. The failure of the Government to live up to its election . pledges has discredited it more and more. The heavy impost of taxation has turned a very large body of influential support against the party in power. The position of the public service, and the mismanagement of important- departments with which the people come in daily contact, account also for the turning of the tide of" public opinion against those controlline the destinies of tile eoiijiti'y to-day. This is the situation—now ripe for concerted action. But at such a moment we find the Opposition divided against itself. One section lighting another, ami another which holds their colleague's at arm’s length and will not sit in common deliberation. II these- personal tactics were dropped, and a united front shown, not only would tile fortunes of the Party be retrieved, but I wluit is more important still, the good I government of the country would be I hotter influenced. Just now the disunion among the Liberal and l.atamr members is tile very strength of tie.* Government. Noting strength is all in favour of the part-.v ill power. while there is never any combined attack in debate, nor that line of constructive criticism forecasting a definite policy which should lie followed by a. wellorganised Opposil ion. As it is, time and energv are being wasted by the individual ne-mbei-K to their methods ol doing business, they are fighting among themselves instead of combining for n hold attack on the Government, and till these tactics arc changed there is no much hope of the pseudo Reformers being pat nut of office., yj K r IT hi; Christeliiiirli Press this week devoted ii column i.if its leading space to no apprei-in t ion ol Westland's possibilities. Slowly but surely West-land is being found out as a land ol promise. There is no doubt that there will be something of u rush west when through railway communication is going to he a daily circumstance. Alreadv large warehouses are transferring their West Coast business connections to their Christchurch branches for the reason that intercourse will lie readier and freer in the matter of drawing sii| plies. With interest oil the East Coast finis warming up to the possibilities of the West Const development, it <-ao he realised that our friends across the ranges will chafe at the delay taking place in completing tile line. Here on the Coast for nearly twenty years we have been waiting now for the linking up. It has been in sight for something like that period, and the probation of waiting has instilled into us :i degree of patience which helps ns to regard with comparative equanimity the dolee far niente spirit with which the great work is handled now on the eve us it were of the linking lip. The outside rolled n will no doubt have :i stimulating influence on local public opinion in the mutter, and so much is hoped, na v expected, from the final fruition of the great work, that there will be a general eagerness to see tile job not of lumd. If the authorities can

but i*:itch tins spirit, all will bo \v«*|| Thciy .iii' evidences of tlio warming up of oflioinl interest, mid the desire to put on more steam. I.i*t it lie so. Tlio iron liund linking up tlio Hast and Wust Coasts cannot bo forged too soon and certainly tlio sooner tlio bettor. I ——4 j 'I nit soiithorn people are to be ionic gratnlnted on adopting tlio Kakapnlnhi bridge loan proposals. It is an evidenco iof the conlidenee of tlio |io|de tbeinselvos in the future of the district, ami displays it worthy power of self-reliance. Outsiders passing through South Westland regard it art a district with a very prosperous future. It will progress rapidly in the near future, for the improved access along) the main south road hy reason of the bridges now being enacted, facilities for traffic "ill he greater, and the volume will grow. The southern district has great resources ,and peopling its waste places will assist in the development of these material assets. The bridge to ho built now at Kakapotahi will .ie of immediate interest to the dairy farmers in that neighbourhood, as also to the grabiers from the south bringing their stock up to the northern markets. It will tap tlio sawmill-tramway which Stuart and Chapman Idd are constructing, and by that (means goods will lie brought some eight or ten miles further south, avoiding homy mail haulage. The bridge erected, and the locality will become a very import, ant centre for southern traffic. The local body is not going to lose any timo in calling for tenders for the work. Tenders arc to he in by the l!)tli of next month, and will be dealt with that J day. In a very few months’ time the bridge should be available for traffic) and begin to servo the useful, j impose to the district it is! destined to lie. The willingness of the people to lielp themselves in this matter should impress also the Government in regard to the lixed opinions of the people- as to the future of South AVbstland. J I Tin? AVestland Racing Club has recorded another satisfactory year to itsi credit. The annual meeting which .took place last, night marked the fiftyfourth year of the Club’s existence, and it may tie said at once that, not only does the Club stand better than over it did, but it lina an assured find very promising future before it. The improvements tk> the racecourse and

tlio appointments, which have been going on of late years, has placed the 1 Club in. a position to enjoy the popn- j lari tv of public and owners alike. The j course and grounds are well found in , every respect, and visitors from other parts of the Dominion are not slow to comment on the very creditable asset . the racecourse is. The arrangements • and appointments are said to lie equal if not superior to many of the centres with a, larger population than obtains j here. Tbe local public arc thus well catered for. and enjoy their racing riot only under very convenient and comfortable conditions, hut also at a particularly low tariff. The Club still carries the burden of a substantial debt. The works which have had to bo dene were costly, and tbo Club has done i well to stem its obligations with the | little inconvenience it has. Its . im- ] provement scheme 'is now practically I emnpletd. The occasion for further j larger expenditure is not immediately i in sight, and with easier conditions j prevailing the Club should now reduce j its liabilities. Judging by the pm- j erammo to he put out for Christmas the progressive spirit- of the past is to lie maintained, and the Club should bo lin a. very fair way to maintain its popularity with the horse-owners generally.