The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCT. 22nd, 1921. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, OCT. 22nd, 1921. THE WEEK.

With to-day’s eontrihutiou wo begin the last, seetion of the reprint of Sir Julius von llansl’s early explorations in Westland. It deals with a remarkaide trip smith in 18(58. The next issue will conclude what has been coitainly a very interesting series of articles. It must he confessed that the explorer was a keen and earnest observer. He was patient and courageous in the extreme, and these qualities will ho fully demonstrated in the final article wherein he descrilies his voyage in a small boat along; the rock hound coast south of the Varinga. The lesson of the articles seems to suggest greater confidence than ever in Westhind. The path-tinders in those early days expressed their confidence fully, and their expectations of developments were realised. We seem to he at the commencement now of another epoch in our history. The glory end glamour of the gold discovery has passed

away, hut the country which yielded the treasure is still hero intact, better able than ever .with applied labour to return greater treasure still. Many matters at the moment nro combining to mark the lieginning of the new

ehange. Settlement is coining into its own, our isolation is disappearing: industry is expanding, new methods are being applied successfully to gold mining. There is an air of prosperity about. The town is taking on a new lease of life. Tt seems to he a time of marked change for the better. With new openings thus revealing themselves it is for the people to lie alert to their responsibilities as well as their opportunities, and taking the tide at its flood pass on to greater fortune than has ever yet befriended this land of golden possibilities.

The interchange of civilities between the King of England and the President of the United States appears to he fit tingly complimentary to the ceremony in Westminster Abbey whereat the warriors of both great countries met on a common level of intercourse. The language used on both occasions covered the situation admirably. There is more than a germ of friendly intercourse planted. The seed long dormant has fructified out of the comradeship of the Great War. and there is now a very strong growth of real and personal friendship between the two great peoples. Much good to both nations and the human race generally will result from the cordial relations, for something approaching unity in action will result in peace moves as in war times. A hotter understanding between the two countries is highly probable now. It is most desirable. Ihe coming visit of Mr Lloyd George it is easy to conceive might place the coping stone in the arch of friendship which will span the Atlantic uniting Great Britain and the United States in the Utmost amity. The two leaders of the nations, the King and the President, have given a happy lead. Their cordial expressions one to the other, were something more than pleasantries and commonplaces. They were words, we are persuaded, from the heart, and widely published and commented upon as they will l> t * by the press of both countries, wifi sink deep into the hearts and understandings of the peoples. They will not lie misunderstood. Wo me <|iiite satisfied thut tiotween the Empire and the Republic there is at bottom the best of good-will, one to the other, and it. only needs the occasion for tangible expression of the feelings to he manifested. That happened in war time. It will come to pass again at the Disarmament Conference.

Thu Irish Conference is dragging along. It seems that the forecast of weeks as to the duration of the corclnvi. is likely to come to pass. The procrastination is a good sign, and taking a general survey of the. prospects we can afford to he patient, and ootiniistic in the meantime. There are *.f course many aspects of the case to be “explored,” and different- views to he assimilated. There are those iru t s-di-the Conference who have also to to considered, and no doubt later to he consulted. The secrecy which is being observed so strictly is another good sign. There is a loyalty shout this which speaks well for the sincerity of the compact which it is hoped in the end will he reached. A great deal depends on the conference, and it would ho wicked to hasten or force a decision which might not h t . palatable. It is well to judge the position accurately, and when the whole matter is through, it will he safe to accept it as the considered verdict whatever it might he The decision will of course be great lv canvassed, hut whatever it is, it will he for tile Empire to accept in the same sincere and earnest way as the liritish representatives are going about, their task of endavouring to find a wav out of what lias been hitherto, an impasse. From the glimpses given of the amicable nature of the gathering. it would appear that it is being conducted in a spirit showing not only a line impartiality, lint a proper feeling for the great issue at stake. The proceedings ar evidently not going to he marred by any untoward event or trivial upset. A genuine earnest split prevails, and in that atmosphere a sue. cessfu lissne seems to bo not improbable.

“I was greatly distressed to read in the newspapers the ri-mirl nl a deputation of primary nrodmvrs that waited mi the I’rime Minister.” Mr A. (■'. Henderson (president of the Oanterlmrv Progress League) said at the quarterly meeting of the league’s council the other day. “The deputation urged the cutting down ut (iovern-iiu-nt expenditure. There's not the (lie shadow of doulit about, it Clintwe’re all agreed that the Departments are overstaffed and that there is too mill'll government in this country. Mo know, in the railway service for instance, where a great deal of cutting down of unnecessary expenditure could he done. Itut what distressed me was that niemliers of the deputation spoke as if the bottom had fallen out of this country. Tin* bottom Tias not fallen out of it. If we can’t tide over a year or two of slight financial depression, caused not by onr own faults, Imt by conditions in other parts of tha world, the people of this country are not of

the stuff I think they are. 1 nave watched the course of the money market, the course of wholesale and retail business and of the operations of primary producers, and t believe that money is easier to-day than it has .been, and that, with one or two temporary periods of tightness, it "ill continue to get easier, and that somewhere about next June—it’s not very far away -we’ll feel much happier in regard to money conditions. 1 have faith in this country. At the end ol a year, there would he nothing in the way of a slump. It might take fiv six, or seven years to get hack to something like stability generally, but it won’t take Xew Zealand as long r.s that, because it’s a resilent country; we respond very readily to improvements in the conditions of the world s markets. Our response, relatively to improvements in those markets, is very mil'll greater than might he dee to the country’s population. Wo have a resilent country, a rich country, and a. country that responds to every increase in developmental effort.”

Tun Prime Minister, who was able to congratulate members of the House oil the interest they take ill Imperial affairs dealt with criticism heard dering the debate regarding the expense of the cruiser Chatham. This vessel, lie said, 'US, not merely cruising up and down the coast giving its officers a good time. It was highly valuable ill policing the Pacific, particularly the islands in which Xew Zealand was interested. He Ircniom bored an occasion when tno European residents of Eiji were in grave danger and Xew Zealand was :ip|H*alod to. All he could glo was to send out the poor old Tutauekai, which took so long to get ready that it was a. fortnight before it got to Eiji. Even this vessel with machine guns and fifty men bad a good effect. The Chatham would provide opportunities to Xew Zealand youth tor naval training, which was essential in a country hound by tradition and position to lie a maritime people. It was said that the Chatham was wasting a quarter of a million sterling, hut if the vessel was not retained this sum would

not he saved, as in any case it was New Zealand’s annual contribution, it Was a far better arrangement for everyone including the Empire itself to have « ship in New Zealand waters training our young men. and lie was glad to say that more men uere offering than were required. He had not changed in the slightest on the question of a local navy, hut it would lie a very dense person who would, fail to recognise that a local navy was impossible under present conditions, when seven million was the cost of n hattiesliip. X'tw Zealand would keep the Chatham, hut possibly at the end of three years would exchange it for ail oil burning cruiser. "I am not able to say what the cost of defence "ill be.” concluded AT I' Massey, ‘‘but I don't believe for 'a moment that oi’r share of the cost of maintenance of the supremaov of the Imperial Navy "ill lie more than we can pay comfortably.”

Tm; week has seen Parliament wrestling desperately with the report of the Gaming Commission. Memliers are taking sides, and it would appear with all tho wire pulling pro and. con going ; on, that till the matter is dealt with, other more important affairs of State will have but scant attention. The . Government bv an astute move has se- ‘ para ted the parties which for obvious reasons were thrown together in oilposition to the report. Tho unholy alliance which was in the making was 1 another example of the saying that polities provides strange hod fellows. It . is futile for the Government to delay ! over the issue, for no doubt members ! generally have made up their minds.

Tlk> ‘only excuse for the postponement | was to give tho supporters of raring tlic | etianee to come together, and seek out an ami cal ile com promise. This agreed to. and the report in substance will go through Parliament. But as yet wo ! are counting without a knowledge of the feeling in the T'pper House. There Sir F. D. Bell wisely direoted members to with-liohl their opinions, till n deeis. ion was reached in another place. Today and Monday, Wellington will a racing go, and as the Umpire City is to profit greatly by the report there will ho the special effort to convince members of Parliament that the increased permits should he granted. in this district tho fate of the report as re gards tho increased number of permitß

does not matter much. The Kumara Club which is directly affected, has intimated to the authorities its acquiescence with the report thus submitting to its own extinction. The loss of this day will be felt by the Club’s racing at autumn in tho West Coast circuit, and for thus reason alone Kumara will he missed, apart altogether from the loss of an old established Club.