The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, FEB. 14th, 1922. A USEFUL TOUR.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 February 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, FEB. 14th, 1922. A USEFUL TOUR.

The propoed tour of the Hon Minister of Public Works down the West Coast of the South Island, practically from Nelson to Jackson Bay, should serve a very..useful purpose. Much of the country to be traversed is a terra incognita to the official mind and Mr Coates will put up a very useful record for future Ministers to emulate, if the proposed tour is accomplished on the lines mapped out. So far as Westland County is concerned we are sure the people will hail the contemplated journey with delight and no doubt the settlers along the route will do all in their power to make the trip a success, apart from the natural desire there will he to accord -.ne Minister a cordial welcome. For far too long it has been the custom of visiting Ministers to hold to the beaten track—the macadamised roads—for —eir motor flights through tne district. Mr Coates is breaking away from this old established custom, and is going to see tho remote places in particular, and judge for himself what should done to open up the country. The trip as far as Waiho Gorge where the motor road ends at present, is familiar to most official visitors, though Mr Coates has not as yet been beyond the Little Wanganui river. South of the Waiho Gorge the need for furthering the means of access will strike the Minister at onco. The first question to bo raised will he the crossing of' the Waiho river Itself, His guides will

probably tell him it is not oversafe for horsemen to ford the river, and the 1 horses will be driven or led across, while the riders will cross by the wire footbridge. The northern approach to the bridge site at the Waiho has been constructed for long years past. But nothing material lias been done towards the erection of the bridge. A vote was placed on the Estimates and then removed without any explanation. Mr Coates will be asked not only to replace the vote but proceed with the erection of the bridge. The route will then take Mr Coates along a narrow piece of road for some distance which was never really built for wheel traffic. This section of the road requires attention urgently as far as Doherty Creek. Beyond that on the through road to Weheka, or Cook’s Flat, there is still a great deal to do to shape the road for wheel traffic. But the work is so far adnvneed That what is needed now should he done. This applies also to the erection of Waiknkupa bridge, t'he timber for which is on the ground. A pleasant outlook will greet the Minister when he gets his first view of Coo’s Flat and in the magnificent clearing ahead of him, he will forget the wonderful forest lands through which he has just passed. From Weheka he will hasten on by way of ICarangarua to Bruce Bay, and tho tract of country lie has passed through will surely impress him with the need of proceeding at once with the long-deferred Bruce Bay landing so that the settlers will have an improved and safer means of handling oversea cargoes. Incidentally he will be able to pass opinion on the need for improved dray roads—especially on the beach route—to facilitate the settlers transport. Travelling up the Mahitahi river bed the Minister will see further settlement to be tapped from Bruce Bay, and should realise that such out of the way spots are worthy every encouragement to assist in trade and export for local development. Between tlfb Mahitahi and the Haast is a long intervening range of high country which is worthy the fullest exploration by both the geologist and the forester. It is an area for the scientist in particular, and the Minister will doubtless note its possibilities if thoroughly explored by a scientific party. En route, the Minister must needs negotiate Slippery Face a greasy hack of high cliff country which is always a menace to through traffic. It is a tribute to the resource of the road makers that the pathway, narrow as it is often continues to he maintained, despite the frequent slips and washouts which occur. Reaching the Haast-Okuru region, the Minister will be in Westland’s most southern settlement. It, too, is a remote centre, but there, as elsewhere in Westland there are many thousands of acre s suitable for dairying, if good access were assured. The Minister will see the potentialities of the district as he rides through, and if he will encourage the settlers by affording fair means for intor-wheel traffic to the different homesteads a dairying development there is most likely to come to pass. The Minister is to pass on to Jackson I Bay where (as also along the route) j he will see great tracts of magnificent I forest country), and when lie travels 1 over Haast Pass, he will lose tne cimi her only when he leaves Westland for Otago. The trip will be a valuable experience for the Minister and his staff and it is to he hoped it will he carried out in its entirety at no distant date.