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Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1922, Page 2

The statement in the Upper House by Sir E. Mitehelson last week that the Arthur’s Pass Tunnel connecting Canterbury with the West Coast “would never pay”, is a repetition, of, Auckland opinion, long used in the effoi-t to hold hack the completion of the Midland Rf|il"'oy. Sir F.dwiji is q fYin?or a

1 valive of the old school, and we do not know that he has been a. visitor to the | West Coast since “the sfceadily-in-view days” when the Ministry he was connected witli was in power, and held up j the Greymonth-Hokitika lailway beI cause it would “not pay axle grease.” Tne critic was confounded in the case Oi tne loc-1 l-Miway, us lie will be in i tne case oi tne arterial railway wnieii in going t / oe Tor mo South Island I nogt-ly u,.at tne mam u uiik was for tne * jNo.m lsl.nid. Ii it were not so, tlio Kail.Miy Department would not ho pmniung as it is to-day lor tne great I 11.sn oi traffic wnivli "ill result east and west Waugh tlio Axtliui’s Pass I portal, it is calculated by the ltail- | way autnoiities who have gone into the matter, the experts who have to deal "itn the probable tiaffie, that the tunI net will he operating day and niglrt j to get tne goods’ trains through. Il t.hjs is tlio prospect the experts see before them, and tlio line is to he operating to its full capacity, what more can Sir E. Mitehelson ask for? If the

line does not “pay” under those conditions it is doubtful if any other line in New Zealand c«n pay. All along the route now the Railway Department is busy effecting improvements to help facilitate through traffic and this is further confirmation that the officials are very sanguine as to the volume of trade which will fall to the line. The railway is an arterial one linking up the West Coast systems, hitherto isolated, with the East Coast, where there is a very extensive system of railways The class of trade which will spring up immediately between the two Coasts will he complementary to each other. Tlu» goads tequired here by a population of over twenty thousand souls, and an enormous area which needs bringing into profit, will he very substantial in hulk and value. On tlio i tlier hand the coal and timber, stock and dairy pro luce which is required on the other side of the range either for local consumption or for export overseas, will he very great, for there is a ready demand for all the Coast commodities. Brought into direct touch with a near at hand stable market there will lie constant trading and the volume of railway traffic must be in keeping with the expected trade for which the Railway officials are wisely pieparing now well in advance to avoid as little congestion as possible.

Tiih Chamber of Commerce, which by the way is also a Chamber of Mines, took the right course on Tuesday night in deciding to take up the amended Government subsidy for a. Westland prospecting scheme. The first offer was £1 for £l, the Local Bodies Conference suggested £3 for £l. The Minister lias now come forward with a compromise offer of £2 for £l. It is very fair under all the circumstances and the Chamber took Mr Seddon’s advice and accepted. It is now for the people to do their part. The sum of £2OO Juts to lie raised quickly or guaranteed by the public of Hoiktika and sin rounding districts. The County Council has made a liberal offer in its share, and this needs supplementing by local subscription. There is the call for the citizens to do their part quickly, so as to permit the prospecting work to go ahead promptly. There has been much talk about the mining future o| the district in which we all believe so much. Here is the chance to hack our faith and provide a means <>i bringing the high hopes to pass. A ready response on the pa rt of the people would leave u* doubt as to the genuine feeling of the district as to its mineral resources, arid it is to he hoped the £2OO required will soon he forthcoming.