The Hokitika Guardian THURSDAY, FEB. 16th, 1922. AN ACHIEVEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian THURSDAY, FEB. 16th, 1922. AN ACHIEVEMENT.

At the County Council meeting on Tuesday, Mr Murdoch gave the local body credit for the success following its intervention in regard to tho clause inserted in the Forests Bill some two weeks or so ago, when important milling rights were jeopardised, in regard to administration. It certainly appeared a hopeless effort to stay the progress of a measure which had been passed actually by Parliament, but it was fortunte that the protest reached the right quarter in good time, and wag so forceful in its effect, that time was taken to review the matter. In his explanation to the Upper House last week, Sir F. D. Bell, the Minister in charge of the Bill, very magnanimously ' recognised the position. He said if the clause now proposed to conserve the Warden’s powers were not adopted, the vested right by law of flie sawmiller would tie lost. That is exactly what was being urged from this end, and it is at least satisfactory to know, that not only was the local body on sound ground, but it achieved its object in impressing the Minister with the view point which has l>een urged from this quarter all along. The Warden’s powers are retained with a reasonable modification, and justice has been secured for the sawmillers; who are under a debt of gratitude to the local body and the Member for Westland for the very timely and active intervention they made, and to the Hon. Minister for the prompt and reasonable way in which he saw the point at issue, and must have gone out of his way to some extent to see that justice was conserved to the timber industry. In regard to the revenue aspect to the local bodies it is satisfactory to find that legislation is provided for a commission to review the position as affecting the loss of revenue to local bodies by the operation of the Forests Act. The investigation deals only with the future, not with tho past, and there is a great deal in Mr Murdoch’s contention, that the loss tho local bodies has suffered upder '

the royalties question should be investigated at least as far back a B 1914. There is said to he involved a very large sum of money. This is important to the ratepayers who are entitled to seo that the revenue due to the respective districts covered by the local bodies should he payable where due, ! and not hypothicated to Government j channels. The royalties question has j been u. vexed matter fo r a long time j past, and it is not fair that local revenues should be penalised as they appear to have lieen. While, however the Commission now to be appointed, may not go back to past years, the system for the future will reveal where there has been serious loss of local revenue, and this fact demonstrated will be good ground for asking for further redress. The session of Parliament just closed has therefore been of some local importance in helping to clear up difficulties which would have been a serious injury to the district, if the law had been allowed to take its course unfairly as was at first the impression I of the legislation hurriedly past. Amj ends have been made, however, and there will he grateful feelings for so satisfactory an outcome.