The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, MAY 27th, 1922. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, MAY 27th, 1922. THE WEEK.

The visit of the lion. Minister of Education and Public Health marks the , week-end. The -Ministerial visit' is long overdue apart, from the fact that Air Pan’s advent has been long awaited. It is many years since a Minister ol Education was in Westland while the last Public Health Minister to visit us was the Hon. W. (i. Russell'. Nevertheless Hoil: C. J. Parr will find a cordial welcome awaiting him. Me believe it is the hon. gentleman’s first visit to the West Coast. That being so we regret it is to be such a brief visit. 11l travelling to-day fiom Otira to Hokitika and departing north on Monday lie will see only a small part of West land null not the most important-. No Minister making a fust visit to the district can say he inis Westland until he has been south. Westland invariably impulses visitors who are surprised at the undeveloped resources of the distiiet. T..e Canterbury visitors last week and a Tenmka farmer who was here this week were in unison as to the future of the place. The gentleman here the other day said the people did not realise what was before them once they wen* linked up with Cantei bury. ‘ Faith in the immediate future of Westland however is firmly set by most of the inhabitants. Realising what the district had before it was the sheet anchor which kept the people here and which has sustained their agitation over the long years for the completion of the Midland Railway. Mr Parr hails from Auckland whence uas come a good do 1 of opposition to the completion of the East and We . Coast railway. Because of the uninformed knowledge of the Auckhuide.s as to the potentialities of the place Air Parr is specially welcome so that lie may see what is to lie seen and carry his good impressions north. But till he goes south he cannot say he has seen Westland.

The Roll. Minister’s visit will i>e welcomed because of tiie opportunity t„ ventilate matters in relation to the Go. veriiment subsidies to hospitals, and particularly on local body contributions. The Minister will be just us wel—and better—informed that/ the deputationists as to the history of the agitation and the legislation affecting the subsidy question. Apart from what lit Department of which Hon. Purr is the head, knows of the matter there v. the report of the Royal Commission, and the deliberations of the conference of Hospital Board delegates. These a e all on record and we may be sure Mr Parr knows the arguments from A io Z. It is necessary, however, to remark that both the Health Department and the Royal Commission weie on the side of such districts as this where nil equitable subsidy was not hung paid in relation to the population and rate levied. The Health Department proposed legislation to meet jhe eases of districts such as Westland. The Royal Commission reported to the same end. It was realised that a grout hardship was being imposed on many districts by the Hat rate of subsidy as now. But for some reason the Health authorities did not have the courage to go on with its legislation, while the Government failed to take the advice ol its own Commission. The point is tin t with low capital valuation in sparsely populated districts, by reason of the lack of devlopment, there are sev ,- rill instances where hospital districts ar inequitably levied upon for hospital and relief administration. This is notable by comparison with the more closely settled and affluent districts which, as a matter of fact would not suffe r unduly by a wider differential basis for the allocation of the Government subsidy. The West Coast Board districts and the Waihi Borough in particular, are very seriously affected by the system at present in vogue and the strongest possible appeal should be made to Mr Parr for relief.

Wnir.F. marking time in the past in regard to the necessary reform, the Hon. Parr’s predecessor did recognise the wrong that was being done, and lin i special grants from year to year passed by j arliament for Hospital Boards in special districts to supplement subsidies. This was an acceptaleh but uncertain gift. Its uncertainty was proved last year by the fact that when the financial stringency overtook the public exchequer, this supplementary subsidy was dropped out, There is every right and reason now to ask Mr Pan - to re, pjape that gift ill a permanent form, There fs a recurring deficit lu the Ros, pita) Hoard’s accounts year, rnl !

that is passed on to the local bodies and the Government jointly to be made up. It constitutes il heavy toll iii a district Where already rates are iiigh', and lu.ve to be kept high to meet in the main these high demands for hospital maintenance. To take the case of tne ; rincipal local body contributor —the County Council—that body had to increase' its rate from six farthings to nine farthings two. years ago to .pay the hospital levy The increase of fifty per cent on the ratepayers lias bceli a heavy tlurdi'rt. It is tdo lirgU a charge to be imposed on the settlers while the non-property holders escape this special taxation. Alore should come out of the consolidated fund, and a readjustment of the Government subsidy 1 on the lines proposed by the legislation first brought down by Mr Parr’s Department wnereb.V the Government amount would not be increased, but the total would be more equitably distributed, is the fair and honest way of dealing with the matter. There are other aspects of the case which might be stresosd but si fflciellt has been said to stress the importance of the ttiatf ter. SO that the puolic will realise W-fiut ’ l s ~t issue to-night when the Minister and Board confer.

As regards trie educational side of Hon. Pair’s visit, deputations w ill stress important matters affecting additional accommodation at schools, as also a hostel for boys here, so that country scholars n,ny have the advantage of the more advanced education to bo obtained in Hokitika'as against that to he derived at the small country schools. It is a vital question, this question of the higher primary instruction for scholars from the country, The district is sparsely settled, and the sole teacher at some of the minor schools cannot impart that degree of knowledge equal to the standard of a central school with its staff equipped in respect to the different classes. It is a case for exceptional consideration. No doubt in the administration of the Education Act, Mr Parr has found many exceptions to be dealt with. The matter is of the greatest importance to tlie rising generation affected, and he cannot do too much in the matter. As to the extra class room, the Minister will see the need for it by a personal visit. The visiting Minister we hope has come across from Canterbury with a definite proposal to rebuild at Ivanieti. Nothing less will suffice if Mi Path- wishes to do justice to scholars and staff. He will receive some complaint also about he expensive and unsatisfactory working of the Education Act in this district, it was a sad day for education in A\esl|aiid when the local Board was wiped out. The act was neither for economy nor efficiency. Again Mr Parr faces the exceptional, and tlie proposal lias been made that an isolated and self contained district such as A\ estland should be governed educationally by a commission system. It would be economically a. great saving while as to efficiency it could not be worse in administration than the present neglected system which Westland suffers from.

Kmi'lßE Day has had rather marked recognition at Home and the cable news featured the attention which was devoted to tne occasion. In Australia also some attention was devoted to the "event, but New Zealand appears to liuve allowed the day to pass iinhonoiiied and unsung. Many stirring words were uttered in the Home Country ill,out the day, and its import, and though it was passed over here in silence, we may be sure its importance was not thought the less of by the loyal population ot New Zealand. Still these are times when national aims and aspirations require to be kept in tne forefront. It is so easy to slip back, for there are many cross currents these days bent on causing disaster. The Empire has at its head a very noble King, whose every action is bent in the light direction. It is clear to those who would think intelligently that to hold the scatCcie.l Dominions together, our love and sentiment to tne Homeland must, be deep seated. That should be cultivated in the young people from their youth up. It is to the credit ot Hon. C. J. Pair who is with us tonight that in the educational fields he is taking steps to inculcate loyalty in tlie young, and to assure that it is present in the teaching stuff. Mr Parr lias often been ridiculed by the enemies of the State for his action in the matter referred to, hut here in loyal Westland lie will find his actions endorsed to the fullest extent. Unity and concern can well go hand in hand in the British Empire. There is scope and opportunity for that freedom and safe living which should satisfy the most exacting. That is how it strikes us, and wiiile we know there are those who would disassociate themselves with the Empire and bring tbe Flag into disrepute, we feel they are in a hopeless minority so far as the far Hung Biitish Empire is concerned.

In regard to the matter just mentioned, there is th e state of Ireland so prominently referred to ill the cables again this week. The Sinn Fein leaders it would appear, are prepared to swing hack to Republicanism as the only palliative to their aspirations. Air Collins appears to have allied himself with Mr do Valera, and in doing so expresses veiled distrust with the British authorities. At the time of writing we liuve not heard what stand Mr Griffith is taking, but if he too is siding With Air Collins, the outcome will be very serious indeed. Sir J. Craig is taking active steps in Ulster, which would appear that tile reapproaehinent between Air Collins and Air de Valera was at least anticipated After what has transpired of lifte in and about Belfast, the Premier required to take decisive steps for public saiely. The Irish question has boiled up in a state which is not at all creditable to the partisans. When the Treaty was signed in Decem- , her last it was hailed as the occasion of Ireland’s emancipation from the distraught times. The Pope and Irish Clergy applauded it. Strong men in Ireland approved it. There was a minority opposition, but it did not appear as if it would prevail. But- the Provisional Government which was set up vascillated and procrastinated. The election of a permanent Government wa« postponed till now it is doubtful if It will take place at nil—certainly not with any degree of fairness judging by Mr de Valera’s latest utterance. And so we are bark to the pre-December days when Ireland was on the verge of civil war, Something akin to that has been growing up in the country of late. a ml whether it will break out fln«

ally in all its horror rests now with the good sense of the jfiopje: il tneir leaders dominate the situation it would appear that all hope in the matter is rapidly vanishing.