THE WEST COAST.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1922, Page 3

THE WEST COAST.

ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE

WHAT THE MIDLAND RAILWAY WILL DO FOR DISTRICT.

RAPID PROGRESS ANTICIPATED.

(Saturday’s New Zealand “Times”). Messrs J. D. Lynch (Mayor of Greymouth) and Mr D. J. Evans (county clerk, Hokitika), who have been attending a business conference at Wellington this week, returned to the South Island by last night’s ferry steamer.

Interviewed by a “Times” reporter yesterday, Messrs Lynch and Evans stated that their districts were showing distinct signs of progress, and that the whole of the West Coast was looking forward with hopeful expectations to the completion of the Midland railCAME THROUGH BY HAIL. a matter of fact,” said Mr Evans, “I came all the way from Hskitika hv rail to Lyttelton. . Owing to a big slip on the road blocking, all traffic that wav for some days, we were taken bV rail through the Otir * tunned .120 of us< being transported one w;>y and 90 the other by rail that day Wo expect, however, to lie able td get back over flic road to-morrow. When the through railway is established (he added) Hokitika will bei the terminus of the Midland Railway service and the Railway Department is now’preparing plans for the extra, accommodation, in tlm way of sidings, etc., that will ho required at Hokitika for the additional rolling-stock which will have to he used. The opening o the through line will necessarily moan „ considerable addition to the rollingstock. because the principal export of our district will lw timber. A number of the mills are already developing and enlarging their operations on quite a big scale in preparation for the great!v-incroesed demand for the timber which will then be available. IRKSOME TIMBER RESTRICTIONS.

In this connection, both gentlemen agreed it (might be well to say that the West Coast generally did not look with t'i great deal of favour oil the action of the Forestry ’ Depart men tthat was to say. its action as regards “the restrictions and irksome regulations” that the department was putting on the industry. Of course, the j West Coast was a. great range of forest countrv. and the West Coasters had ahvavs looked upon the growing forest as tlieir birthright, and had hoped for very; great industrial development when better access to the markets was provided : but they found that the regulations imposed by the Forestry Department were going to ho very restrictive. The fact that the department had restricted the expot t of red pine to Australia had had a very baneful effect on the industry, and some of the, mills had to put off „mn. Indeed, but for the fact that there was a big demand for white pine the industry would ho in a bad u-av. Several of the mills were carrying on at half-staffs; and. but for the white pine market being open to them they would have to turn all their men off and close up the industry. settlement going ahead. Settlement in South AA-estland, it was stated, was going ahead rapidly. Dairying was taken a. hold, butter and cheese were now being produced i considerable quantities, and the Coast, which wrs specially adapted for pastoral pursuits, would, the informants held, soon be developing very substantially in that respect. The tourist traffic also, was growing. During the present vear a number of rivers m South Westland would he bridged, so fat- m the road service was concerned; and it would then he possible to motor right down to the AVaiho Gorge, about TOO miles from Hokitika. There was very fine scenic country the whole way hush, of course, and rivers anil streams, and some beautiful lakes, and to finish up with, some wonderful glaciers. \t the present time the population of the West Coast was increasing slowly but they hoped that when the railway gave them direct intercourse with the other side of the island, population would substantially increase. “ BIG MOVE AHEAD.”

AH the settlements were growing •uid when there was ready access to market, the West Coast as a whole should make a big move nhtad. The West Coasters recognised with gratitude that they had luid a lot of help of late from the Canterbury people, more particularly from the Canterbury Progress League, which bad ta.ken a. considerable interest in the Coast. A number of members of the league visited the disriot some twelve months As a result of what they saw they felt that every assistance should be afforded the Coast, awl they were giving the district all the help they could. ' FARMERS’ WINTER SCHOOL. The Canterbury Progress League for instance, was now organising a Farmers’ Winter School at Hokitika at which lectures would bo given by professors from Canterbury College and others. The Const people were looking forward to this with great interest, and it was intended to take the visitors round the various settlements, to the host farms, to the sawmills, mines, etc. and to the beauty spots of the Coast, in order to give them an adequate idea of AVestland and its potentialities. . They were much indebted to tne G'-rWiimont for carrying on hriib'ing of the South AVestland rivers in these somewhat adverse times. The Hon J G. Coates had visited the district’ and had seen the necessity for these ivor I '*. and was now pushing them on. IT Y DP- OF LF.CTU 1 CITY DR ED GIN G

for gold. One of the latest developments on the Coast was due to the capital and' enterprise of an American company, which had recenly installed at Rimu Flat a 509 horse-power 'dredge, driven by hydro-electric power from Lake Kanieri. With this dredge the company was now working the flat, which had been abandoned by the miners because they could not work the ground economically with the primitive methods they were using. The ground had been thoroughly prospected first with Keystone drills, and the gold returns had been very satisfac{Ol.y_quito up to -prospecting expecta-

tions. The last monthly return was 800 ounces, and a second dredge was now contemplated. “It is,” said Mr Evans, “an American Company, managed by Americans, and we have found them very fine people indeed—first rate business people to deal with. Their word is tlieir bond oil every occasion. AVe are very glad to have them with us, and pleased that their enterprise is turning out so successfully.” ,