The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, SEPT 16th, 1922. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian SATURDAY, SEPT 16th, 1922. THE WEEK.

At the County Council meeting this week a peculiar position arose in respect to Mikonui bridge when the builders of that useful structure on the main south road offered to take tho bridge hack from the local body which had acquired it for some £I6OO some four years or so ago. The local body was really charged with a breach of agreement in that it had not carried out the by laws for the control of the bridge, which by-laws were part and parcel of the bargain under which the local body had taken over the bridge. Tho members of the local body admitted they had been lax in that respect not intentionally but with a. view to reaching a clearer understanding. It was pointed out that when the by-laws were drawn up motor lorry .traffic had not been contemplated and a limit of loading was adopted fitting in with horse drawn vehicles. As far a s can be re. called there was no test- or estimate as to the breaking strain of the bridge and u maximum load was fixed merely in keeping with ordinary usage at that time. The builders of the bridge, however appeared to consider the local body was putting a svecial onus on them in asking whether the matter of loading might not be reviewed. However, a very amicable decision was reached in the end by the Council acknowledging its liability in the matter, and willingness to enforce the by-laws. This am£iu3e honorable satisfie-d the representativo of the builders of the bridge and the request was at once made not to onforce the by-law pending a conference as to strengthening the bridge, to ensure safety in carrying a. heavier load on vehicles. This was very generoiiN and quite in keeping with the magnaminity of the builders of tho bridge who certainly have rendered a great public service in placing so fine and useful a bridge at the nominal price charged for public utility. The need for catering for heavy lorry traffic was recognised by one of the County members who stressed the fact that the lorries have come to stay :l nd that class of traffic, has to lie provided for. The outeomo therefore will bo that the bridge will be strengthened and made secure for heavy motor lorry traffic up to eight tons. Thf. County Council is evidently going to give the General Government a lead in the matter of road making machinery. Already it has a tipping motor lorry. Now a road roller is to be obtained and enquiry is to be made for a portable stone crushing plant. With the increased volume of heavy traffic over the roads a plant embracing the machinery enumerated is highly necessary to promptly and economically carry out maintenance work. It is being proved daily that broken metal is alone equal to the demands of the heavy traffic. The ordinary pit gravel is far too earthy and too much of it is wasted by tho larger stones lioing thrown out. With a stone-crushing machine operating at a suitable point, large quantities of tho right kind of material can Ik? transported considerable distances by the motor lorry, and with the roller to consolidate the material, a good sound road is made quickly and will carry the traffic. The ordinary material will no doubt cost a little more to place on tbe road, but it is only the first cost. Once there and rolled in, the material will not wash out or waste away, but will serve the special purpose designed and will give satisfactory service. There is no doubt that with so much speedy traffic travelling the roads regularly, broke metal will prove the best standing substance for road making. Tbe machine broken material while not ns good as the hand broken, will however be produced in larger quantities and it is the supply that is required and that quickly. Tf the local body acquires so useful a piece of machinery, for its road making plant, it will prove in the end an econ. omicnl investment and a direct saving to tho ratepayers. The Council decided also to consider who? best could be done with Lake Kanieri road. It is highly essential that this road should be

placed in good order and so maintained. It is largely a problem of cost, arid into tnat must also enter the necessity of securing stone crushing plant, for such a narrow road certainly requires ns solid a foundation as possible, and broken metal will alone meet the requirement.

The Near East is again a boiling cauldron of trouble for the Towers and the j tense situation in that quarter will detract for the time from the more im mediate European situation involved in the aftermath of the war. The situation in the East culminated with unexpected suddenness, for events nearer Home absorbed interest, and Gieece and Turkey went on sparring the outside world not realising the imminence hor the importance of the events so soon to come to pass. The war between Greece and Turkey, which has been proceeding for several months, and which has ended in a decisive victory for the Turks has had less than its failshare of attention from those nations which three short years ago signed the solemn Covenant of the League of Nations and subscribed, the names of their plenipotentiaries to the Treaty of Sevres. The great Powers, who should have acted, and acted firmly and promptly, as arbiters in this dispute, have instead taken sides. France and Italy, with an ill-assorted third partner, Bolshevik Russia, have espoused the cause of Mustaplia Kcnial and the Angora Government, while ’Great flritaiii has given some halfhearted encouragement to the Greeks. Tho Turks have been liberally supplied with munitions of war by their Continental friends, by all accounts. Certainly some good fairy Power must have provided the needful for bankrupt, down and out Turkey.

The. history of this little bvnl* of such far reacting effect citn b'e briefly told. Collie time ago the Allied troops of occupation were withdrawn from Asia Minor and tho region south of the Caucasus and the Greeks were allowed to occupy Smyrna and the surrounding district, which ,under the Treaty of Sevres, who constituted an autonomous State under a Greek protectorate. Tho presence of Greek troops was strongly resented by a fraction of the Turks which wits Stroilg enough pdlitcdlly to establish a revolting Government with its headquarters at Angora, and strong enough in the military sense, as subsequent events have proved, to render the pretensions of Greece untenable. About five weeks ago Greco asked the Allies’ permission to allow her to occupy Constantinople, as the only means of ending the war. Tho three powers in occupation of Constantinople "at once rejected the request. At an earlier stage Greece invoked the intervention of the Allies and of the League' of Nations, but no action was taken. Overt Allied action on behalf of either Greece or Turkey is manifestly impossible so long as tho Allies are partisans in the dispute arid intervention and pacification is rendered difficult. But events are marching swiftly. Tile decisive defeat of tho Greeks will certainly inflate the ambitions of the Kemalists and the tonus of the Treaty of Sevres will stand in need of defence by those who arranged them.

There is sure to he much friction and probably more serious developments than are at present foreshadowing before tranquilty reigns again. The safekeeping of the Dardanelles and the passage through to the Black Sea is of paramount importance, and Britain is determined to keep the straits. France at least is ’disposed to act in consort in regard to this matter. Both France and Italy have been flirting with Turkey, 'which fact will add to the delicacy of the international complications at the present juncture. The Turks elated by their pronounced success are sure to be aggressive, not to say overbearing, and will take some thing to control. The Mohammedan section of tho British Empire is in sympathy with the Turks, and even Sastri, the Indian leader, who professed to be so decidedly pro-British when in New Zealand, bespeaks tin cause of tile* Turks in his public addreses in Canada. Britain will again have a very full, hand* in the East where her interests are so largely centred with Palestine, Mesopotamia and India in her charge and the effect on the adjoining nationals, her responsibilities art! going to he very great and will call forth again tho best efforts in statecraft.

Gjceeck will be again, enduring a very unhappy and certain period. Since her King flirted with Germany during the war period, her political situation has been very indefinite. It can be well understood why Britain lent moral support to Greece in Asia Minor, for the reason that the Christian population of that region would be at least free from the possibility ol wholesale massacre. It will be interesting to glean where the Turks accumulated the immitoiis of war to become so aggressive and so overwhelmingly powerful as regards military force. It was certainly a grave mistake to encourage a war of the magnitude of [that revealed in' Asia Minor, for tho consequences of the mistake promise to be greater than can be easily averted by the outsiders now rushing in to. minimise the results which are beginning to loom ahead. The unrest in India and other Eastern British possessions will be greatly accentuated by those, ready to avail themselves of such a golden opportunity to work upon the cupidity of their all too willing dupes. Sastri’s statements suggest at once something of the storm likely to be invoked, resultant from developments in Asia Minor.

j There has been a pause in events in I Ireland since' the shooting of Michael Collins. That dire event evidently gave food for thought, and was impressive enough to create a restraining j influence in many directions. Tho i newly elected President has begun | well, and is as determined as his preI decessor to adhere to thu terms of the I Peace Treaty. Matters are now more * promising for Ireland, for the< definite statement that there can be no compromise with tho rebels, indicates a J detenmination to establish law and i order on constitutional grounds. The much discredited de Valera is still in j hiding, but angling for the best terms | of surrender ho can obtain. The sue--1 cessor of Mr Collins is reported to havu met de Valera and made it plain that unconditional surrender alone will j be acceptable. Taking such a stand ! there is every hope for Ireland cimergi ing from Ijer internal difficulties short- ! ly, and with her self-respect restored. I To have) bartered with the rebels would j have undermined flier national standing. Ireland stands before all the world as a nation prepared to establish her nationhood on constitutional lines ,and when that is soon achieved, her reputation will he greatly enhanced. all the world over.