The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JUNE 17th., 1922 THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, JUNE 17th., 1922 THE WEEK.

Whatever may be the fate of the Irish elections, there is at least this satisfaction that Biitaiu has been patient and tolerant to the point of the greatest magnanimity. An Irish prelate speaking in Australia recently used the lollowing exti avagant laiiigaunge : “The rulers of England— pelfidious ulbinn whether Kings of old, or Cabinet Ministers of late, had achieved a reputation fnbreaking treaties and dishonouring their pledged word, whiili stood unrivalled in the history of the world.” The rove: end gentleman was enrried away c. i h otly 1.., the ex It: lame of his own verbosity to indulge in such flights i !' iii.uvura ie.- in Ilia light i f late h intor-, ami it would have Item much totter instead of trying to inflame the public mind to have met the issue as it is plainly before Ireland to-day, and in the tru<> spirit of conciliation and rightinindednes.s, tried to i alcli up the differences of old, and in a newborn spirit of confidence and hope in tlie future of Ireland, become fast friends. There lias been far too mneli

•if the effort to appeal to the cupidity >f the. masses rather than to train, thoir thoughts into reasonable ways. How. >ver the polling now taking place in Ireland, ns we write, is to settle the

political fate of the Emerald Isle: The tipsters predict a victory for the proTreaty pnrty. Really it should not be otherwise if there is a fair field and no intimidation at the polls, The pati-, fnr*> fplpranco exercised these ln»(

few months, and the adherence of the British Government to the -compact ui!u the Irish treaty leaders, leave no doubt about the genuine desire in Eng--1., ,1.1 lo see a reign of peace brought in t) Ireland. Tt is more than a desire, it is ait urgent wish, for the tragedy of the Great War has opened the eyes of the people more than ever to the futility of the slaughter which results from differences of opinion. Ireland needs martial conflicts ns » means to adjust lienee and reading between the lines. Ireland wants peace. May she get it by her own seeking at the present polling, and may it he a lasting and honourable peace.

Tn Kite is still marked unrest the world over about wages. A fall is coming, l as come in fact already as a writer on economies points out by under consumption. unemployment and part time work. There is less work to lie had even at the old rates, so that the earning power over a period is less. and therein is the enforced reduction. The industrial side of the question is very p]„iu. A cessation of work, a shutting down, cuts off the laborers source of income and he misses his wages. For the same reason that that effect has overtaken the casual labourer, it will ; (feet the permanent employee similarly. The level of wages must be uniform «ts an economic law. It cannot stand high in one trade and low in another, for the law of supply and demand lates with unswerving sureness, and all tiades in a country arc affected by tie vogue of prosperity within the country. It is often urged that the drop in

urges will reduce the purchasing power of the wage earners; but if the goods ate i rodueeil for les» by the fall in labor, if euimnotlities cun be put on the market at a lower cost, it is axiomatic that the wage earner will be in an improved position, for the goods being cheaper will be hi gieater demand, and tlie supply to meet that, demand will call for more labour thus assuring more work. The high level of pay was a result of the war time. That period of excess and orgy is now past, and this counti.v, like all other countries, has to face peaceful conditions. The economic position has been sadly disturbed by the waste anj loss which the war carried ill its train, but there is coming the inevitable adjustment, and in that adjustment all must play a part as they tlid when the scale of wages was rising. Nothing is being taken away which was not put on. and it was clear from the outset it was of a temporary character a war bonus—something to tide over conditions created by the war. With peace prevailing and excesses to he adjusted the people have now to as-1 sist in righting the over-bnrdenod state of affairs and to that cud a reduction of wages is quite inevitable bewail it how we may.

The local branch of the Progress Longue continues to do very good work in its aim to advance the staple industries ot Westland In regard to forming and agricultural pursuits it has been successful In securing a visit of some <>f the Departmental experts, who will arrive here this evening, and next week and part of tlie following, visit various parts of Westland on a lecturing and instructional tour in relation more particularly to pastoral pursuits. Mess’s A. H. Cockayne and F. Clayton are the officers selected by the Department anti both gentlemen are highly placed officers with a wide experience and general knowledge, the dissemination t which must do good. A„s the townspeople lately had the benefit of the agricultural lecturers at the winter school, the whole of the time of the visiting exnerts is being devoted to the country districts, which is a very thoughtful arrangement on the part of the Frogross League. The visit opens with two days spent in the Kokatahi-Koite-aimi district, followed by two days at Inter-Wanganui, a tiff then on further south to Wataroa and Wailio Gorge. On the return journey lectures are to he given at Wait-aba and Ross, and the tour is to close in the north, one day each being devoted to Arahnra and Kumara. Tt is a comprehensive tour, well thought out. and deserves the full support of the settlers who will have the best information available in dairying matters brought right to thoir doors. The present tour is an experimental one. and its repetition depends on the measure of patronage extended by the interested. The tour is undertaken at considerable expense to the Government and it will be for the people interested to show their appreintion of tli sendee being done them, by attending in force. Dur. ing the day time various demonstrations will ho given, while at night there will be lectures illustrated bv lantern slides.

The southern residents in particular are looking forward to the visit of the dairying expert. In the Wataroa district it is proposed to add a butter making plant to the cheese facory, so as to enable the settlers as far south as Waiho flrge to send in cream to Matainui for butter making. This would he an important expansion of the dairying industry in that locality, and is feasible now that motor lorry traffic permits the quick transit of butter to a market, or if necessary for export to the cool store in Canterbury as soon will be feasible. There Is plenty of room for the expansion of the dairy ins industry in thy , ape] looking

to the enormous growth in the output, in the North Island, there need not be any fear of glutting the market by the extra production hero to grow by the expansion of dairying. The Wataroa district has put up a great record for high quality cheese, and it should do as well with butter. The pastures there are particularly sweet, and dairying should flourish for all time. As th c large holdings are cut up, and the valleys arc more closely settled, the increment in the local wealth must ‘be substantial. With a good road, and the intervening rivers bridged, the distance from the rail head is not serious tor motor traction, so that the district is at no disadvantage through isolation,

nor handicapped by any excessive distance from tlie market. The Wataroa Flat and the adjacent country should ciinv increasing dairy herds once the settlers enter in the right spirit ofdairying and the visit of the experts on Friday and Saturday of next week should excite the enthusiasm of all by the possibilities for local expansion if the dairying enterprise is taken up in the light way and the capacities of the land are used to the best advantage. Apropos o| the possible traffic through

tin* Otira tunnel wo notice that thu ■ wee kii northern paper seeks to dis<'oiiut thi' estimates of the County Chairman as lately forecasted by -Mr Jeffries in an address to the Prime Ministed. The northern paper after eon- j saltation with the Ureyinouth harbour- ' authorities gives the real transport at -1C.0.K) tons instead of fiUO.OOO. and also writes down the timber traffic. The disparagement is due to the Greymouth estimates being based on present day traffic, and takes no account of the ' new order of things to come to pass muy ready caul convenient railway : traffic >s available. It was the eus-| tom for folk to say that the Hokitika- | Urey railway would not pay for the grease for the wheels ol the railway j and neither it would on the pre-rail-way traffic overland. But when the I railway eamc if was remarkable how j the traffic grew. Instead of units the people travelled in tens, and soon it came to hundreds. So also with goods traffic, and the wonderful development all along the ine. When the Otira tunnel is operating it will he a surprise to the Urey mouth authorities evidently what the great volume of traffic will he. Home liners now calling at 'Wellington and Dunedin will mal at Lyttelton. That trade alone will absorb a huge

coal tonnage, the electric plant is to be driven by coal and that will have to be drawn over our own lilie aJid probably a good deal of it will come from AvOca and pass through the tunnel. As to the timber trade, it is impossible to estimate at all accurately whiit it will expand into. The least timber will command all the timber interests ot North Canterbury, and away south as far as railway tariff can compete with seaborne freight. The Coast timber will penetrate into Otago. Ihe P 1 ospects for trade expansion of our timber ■t,i,l .are very bright and we shall not he at all surprised to -ee even Mr Jeffries’ estimates, sanguine thoiign they may appear to he in the licht ol present trade, considerably exceeded.

In regard to the plight of the sttwlnilling industry referred to in yesterday’s issue, ail East Coast paper refers to the aspect of the question as affected bv export, and particularly to tlie result ol the limitation in export, which is a matter for serious consideration. A* the, whole subject is of such vital interest to tliis district we reproduce the comments of the natter in ■ question, tlie “Sun” of Christchurch : —The price of timber is being kept down in the Dominion to-day as a result of the severe limitation on the export trade being imposed l>v the Government. There is a much better market for timber in Australia than in the Dominion, but it can only be participated in to a very limited extent by tlie New Zealand milling industry on account of the export regulations. The quantities that in.av he exported each year are on ' a. diminishing scale, and are so designed that in a few years there will he' no export at all Indeed, export of kauri will cease altogether after this year. In 1918. regulations were gazetted tserin it ting nn export of 30.000,000 super feet each year. These regulations were intended to end the export trade in rimu in 10 years, and that, in kauri in six years. Recent amendin'' regulations have still further reduced the quantities that may he exported each year, and in the case of kauri, as stated previously, this will ho the last vear of ev'iort. While those regulations have boon instrumental in keeping prices (town in the Dominion, they are a severe handicap tn the milling industry. In the bourn period, brought alwiut by War and post-AVar conditions lna.’ty now mills were started, but no mills which were not in existence in 1918 are permitted to export. Those mills are therefore the harder hit by slump conditions which now rule in the timber trade. The output in recent years as a result of these accessions to the industry, has greatlv increased. Correspondingly, the export out nut has steadily declined. To-day stocks are piling up, and upon these millers have to meet interest and other charges. The economic pressure has caused malty to sacrifice stocks—although the public has not benefited much as a result of these forced realisations. Mon in the industry claim that it has never been in as had a state. Free, or n freer export. would save the situation; hut there is little hone of this concession being granted by the Government. Would any of the primary industries in the Dominion, they say, submit to such conditions as have been imposed on the milling industry l>v the Government ?