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Hokitika Guardian, 4 July 1922, Page 2

In the course of the speech just referred to, Mr Massey went on to say that some new Departments had been created. He had in mind the Fortstry Department. He did not know how much it was costing, but he would have to look into the matter one of these days. There was no secret or mystery about, the figures. Fie believed in the principle of forest conservation. It was right that the forests should lie looked after and the planting of new forests encouraged. So far as he could ascertain at the moment the Forestry Department was costing alrout £7,5,000. Mr Wiiford: You are a long way out of it. Mr Massey : “I do not like to exaggerate.” Ho thought that the figures the honourable member had in mind included items that formerly appeared in the expenditure of other Department. It was not fair to the Forestry Department to include them in a statement of new expenditure. Heti'enchp'ippt could pot be fir panged in 1

a month or six months. He thought that the Dominion should spend a certain amount of money in tlie upkeep of Hie present forests and the planting of forests that would be useful for generations to conic. It is extremely satisfactory to find that at last tlie Prime Minister has struck a note of sanity on the part of the Government in regard to the extraordinary high expenditure on the part of the Forestly Department. It. will be very satisfying if the Government will look closely into tlie expenditure, and see exactly the present and prospective value the country is getting for the very high rate of expenditure, and also where tlie money is now coining from. All possible savings should be enforced, if we read Mr Massey's speech aright, and no doubt gient lacings c.mld lie made in F»-res-tiy expenditure if the matter were taken jn Hand by an officer with a sense of responsibility regarding the country’s 1 resent needs.

A (OitnKsl'ONDl.NT puts this query to t.s: “If Hokitika with its fine water supply, brilliant electric lighting and salubrious climate is a fifth rate town, in what grade is Greymouth with its unmentionable water service, its lack of effective lighting, and its super fine “barber” blend of cutting atmosphere?” M'e suggest the sum in pr<portion be worked out by the High •School students, but meantime would work it. out on these lines: Hokitika water supply 80% ; Greymouth—water supply 10%. Hokitika lighting 90% Greymouth lighting 30%. Hokitika climate 80%: Greymouth climate 10%. The totals arc Hokitika 250%; Grey mouth 50%. If Hokitika with 250% is fifth rate. Greymouth with .',(>•. would be a twenty fifth rate town! \notlhT test might be made i.f the civic debt, and the burden it ia on the people. Greymouth which has 860 ratepayers, has n debt of £101,300, equal to £llß per head of the ratepaying population. Hokitika which has 550 ratepayers carries a Borough debt of £22,000, equal to only £4O per head of the ratepayer population, a decided advantage to the southern residents. So also in the matter of rating, the rate per £I,OOO of capital value in Greymouth is 18.61, while that of Hokitika is only 13.86. Tlie internal ceononiv in the management of the two towns is strikingly evidenced by the figures. So, also, if w-c contras! the public spirit of the two towns, we read frequently in the Greymouth press where the public men of the northern borough arc being flagellated by the newspapers for the lack of civil spirit, and invariably Hokitika is quoted as an example of how to do things! This evidence from the local press of Greymouth suggests if Hokitika is to he described as of fifth rate importance to what lower level can Greymouth as a town lie consigned? Certainly much below the approved grade and standard of Hokitika I