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Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1921, Page 2

Tins is a time rather for earnest c >- opei'iition than for political dissen-on and there is no wish to make p-e tv capital out of tile country's misfi tmiy-s. Rut Mr Massey and bis colleagues, past and present, must bear a very large share of the blame foi tingrave difliculties under which tin- country is labouring at the present thru-. When butter fat was worth 2 3 a

pound, and wool and meat were se|l tie at -commandeer prices, tin* farmers were overflowing with prosperity ami financing the country was a simnb* matter. In those days labour ft: el its own reward, the consumer. did not nmiit tin* cost, and tin* politician was content to rest and b«‘ thankful The public service grew to unwieldy dimensions, and still grew. Ten;;.clary buildings were run up for its -«eeommodation. Mats and offices were biased at exorbitant rates, new jibs and departments w«»re moated, and people who suggested this sort of tiding eonhl not go on for ever. \ l .'“ie dulibed “croakers.” or even denounced as “disloyalists.” When the wav was over the orgy of extravagance -an oil. partly because the Mother Country continued her high payments for the farmers' produce, and partly because til* sixteen millions set aside by Sir Joseph Ward for financing purposes was available for soldiers* settlement and the inflation of land prices. I titil the sudden drop \m wool values Irst yea.r everything seemed lovely ;n the country’s garden and even then the Government refused to admit to itself or the public that the inevitable liad happened. lavish spending bad become so much a habit with those in authority that nothing short of a financial cataclysm could bring then* to their senses, and the cataclysm came. What the final outcome of this disagreeable experience will be, remains to be seen, but one tiling worth praying for is that the public's interest in its own national affairs will he v« rv considerably quickened by the lessons of adversity.

Pints inshinik for building purposes is not approved by the building inspector to the Hastings Borough Council. “As instructed,” reported the inspector last week. “1 have made inquiries into the question as to the suitability of pinus insignia for building purposes. The quality of this timber varies to such a degree that, provided the tree has matured, and has been grown, under silvicultural conditions, it may provide timber of a fair quality. A tree of rapid growth with a small proportion of summer wood, that is the darker, harder portion in each annual ring, usually provides timber of a poor quality. It should not be placed^in or near the ground, or dump surroundings. It should be well seasoned. Its use has been disallowed in Auckland and Wellington up to the present time. I think it would he ns well to leave the use of this timber for building i-u the the borough in al>cyanee for the time lvcing until it is reported that it has and will provide a lasting timber for building purposes. Of the majoritv I have inspected in the borough,

one half had the dry rot, and the other the horcr.”