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Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1921, Page 2

Ala .Massicy is to he unreservedly congratulated upon his attempt to breakup the alliance between the opponents ol racing and the opponents of racing reform, which Inis been threatening to .‘‘at- the Government’s efforts " to bring about a more equitable distribiitH"l t ota lisa tor permits. The. alhanre is [lie niosi curious intrigue that has been witnessed in Parliament for many a long day. Mr l.eumird l.sitt ami bis iricmls, cuiisriml ions, (.bough, "e think, entirely misiaken opponents ol racing, are coalescing with Mr v igor lb own ami bis friends, whose nidy incentive in the matter is a desire tp preserve permits which the Racing ( ninmission lias recoiniiiemlod should lie extinguished. There is not a shred ol ethical sympathy between the two parties. They are as far apart in Ibis respect as the poles. ‘Hut from (heir widely dillerent standpoints thev have been making war on the ( ortiniissioii's report I nun the moment ij was issued. Now' however, Mr -Massey lias driven I a wedge lietwecn tbein that is bound to separate sincerity fnim insereerily. .Mr Isilt and bis friends w ill not hesitate to vote against any increase in die nun her ol perniils, and .Mr Hrown and !iis friends will not dare to follow il.-ir lead. In these circumstances, thanks largely to .Mr .Massey's adroit move, the right seems likely to prevail.

Tim complaint so often made in the ■ > columns as to the neglect of Westland by tile Tourist Department is specially coiiliiiued by Hie details of (lie annual report of the Department ill question. Dealing with the question of Government run resorts, a statement of the linancinl position of eight principal resorts shows that only Waitnimi Caves paid expenses, this showing a credit balance of £2813. The debits of other

resorts were:—Te Aruba, £221(1; Rotorua, £19,438; Rotorua Acclimatisation District, C4.!0; Lake House, Waikaremoaiia, Cfiß; Hatimer Springs, £2831; Hermitage, Mount Cook, £1414; Te Amiu-Maimpouri steamers, Glade House, Milford Track, £1458; Queenstown, L’7sß. No allowance is made for interest on capital or depreciation of plant and buildings. These figures analysed show a net debit ill the North Island of £10,3(13 and tho South Island (east coast and cold lakes) of £<i,4(>l. This is a total deficiency of £25,824. Tiie West Coast is is quite out of He picture so f sir ns (iovcriuucnt run icsorts is coneeriHMl, and only in quit** a trifling way has the Department striven to help the district dovolopo its national resources yet. V. est.and 1 : s

many sublime spots. As far hack as 15155, Sir Julius Von llaast was extolling the view from Hokitika, amt ti e grandeur of the south s-em’ry. lie biding the special characteristics of tie Wiiiho and Fox glaciers. I!e . iiiinarlted in those pristine days that the finest view oil the globe—and he was a world’s observant traveller—was to lie seen from Okarito Lagoon beach. Nature has not altered since, and that view, with the glories ol the bush, mountain, river and lake scenery in Smith Westland, is still there lor traveller to feast his eyes upon. This district lias special merit in the way ot natural features to commend itself, and if the beauties of the district acre mine widely extolled by the Tourist Department.' the place would lie far moro m favor with the travelling public. ! >' worth while certainly for the Government to take up this matter of advertising the unsurpassed scenic glories of Westland.

It is thought in Wellington that the slow progress being made by Parliament during the early "celts oi the session, is due to a desire oil the part of the Government to sec the Auckland East bye elect-on safely through, before it propounds its financial policy. This, very likely, is the case. Tin* policy whenever it is announced must contain proposals lor drastic economies in the public expenditure, and though these proposals may prove ultimately the sagacity and courage of the Govei niiiunt. they certainly will nut add immediately to its popularity. ~x (i line n the Dominion is lietter schooled ill the art of .electioneering than Ml Massey is, and the Prime Minister knows perleetly "ell that the eve of an election is an inopportune time for the discussion of unpleasant topics. This being so. Parliament may not greatly increase its note of progress dunig the present week. There are, howevr, sources ot information available to the diiegent searcher whrh enable him to foim a fairly good idea of the magnitude of the task that lies before the Government, in adjusting the largely increased expenditure •” the rapidly declining revenue. It is not often that a Government remains in power long enough to surmount the difficulties occasioned bv its own overoptimistic expenditure. Most often. 1 hiveiTimeiit’s that have heen guilty of

this incliseroticm have been turned out of office before the surmounting progress began. This it will be remembered was the experience of the f!rev Government in 187S>, and to some extent 4>f the Atkinson Government in 1801. Hot .Mr Massey stands in an unique position anions Prime Ministers. Though he now has not a majority of electors of the country behind him, lie has secured a majority in the House, which in solidity, though not in nuwiliers, is comparable with the great majorities led by Mr Seddon. His strength, however, lies almost entirely in tile weariness of a divided Opposition. If a party all to himself is conceded to Mr Vigor Brown, which seems to lie the only way of disposing of the member for Napier, there are five small units opposed to tho Government, all at logger heads with one and another, and quite harmless so far as the present occupants of the Treasury benches are concerned. But it is possible that by the time tile general election comes round, which in the ordinary course will be at tlie end of the next year, the progressive forces in the country will have found a leader capable ot teaching them afresh the lessons of

miller Mr Soddon, and meanwhile their representatives ill Parliament "ill have mi occasion to envy the lot of their political opponents who are leit in ofliee to unravel the tangled thread of Una nee they lmv,. prepared for themselves. That ministers will have the sincere sympathy of all parties in their colossal task, woes without saying. but this does not mean that the plain facts of the position need he igliored. The truth is that since the conclusion of the war. nearly three years ago. there has been a veritable orgy of extravagance in almost every Government Department.. Tsivish expenditure had gained such an impetus at the beguiling of this year, that in spite of the Prime Minister’s strong appeal for economy, the departmental expenditure for the dune ipiarter showed an increase of nearly a million and three tpiarters. than the expenditure for the corresponding period of the; prev.iouis year* After this, the efforts of the previous Governments in the same direction seem absolutely paltry.