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Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1922, Page 2

The result of the AA’estland election favored .Air O’Brien, the Labor candidate, who owes his position to the vote-splitting resulting from the appearance of two candidates for Reform living in the field. The occasion was the chance for Liiltor, and seizing it with both hands 'made every post a winning one, and finished with a substantial majority in his favor. It is interesting to note that Air O’Brien’s total vote shows an increase of only 160 over his poll of 1919. On that occasion Mi Seddon had a majority of 1497, but at yesterday's poll while Mr Seddon polled 2376, Air Steer recorded 1910. and Air Lynch 516. There were thus 1826 votes east against Air O’Brien’s 2863. Of the substantial poll of 7089. with about 200 absent votes and electoral^i iglits Air O’Brien has a minority vote of 1963. This result gives emphasis to the advice tendered by this paper to the electors that the pro-Reformcrs if they wished to save the seat going over to Labor should vote Liberal. That advice was not accepted, so it may he assumed that the Reformers voted with the desire to assist the Labor candidate. The hulk of the electors of AA’estland therefore should lie gratified with the result. Candidly the Guardian is not. The district in our opinion lias made a serious mistake, and no doubt many folk will not he rejoicing to-day, but it is not for the want of ample warning. There, for the present the matter may he left, except to congratulate Air O’Brien on his victory. He certainly fought a clean, hard fight, and there can he no animosity on our part at his election which must he accepted, under the defective electoral system, as the voice of the people. The Labor organisation was very good and its effort well sustained. The voting in the various sawmilling and other industrial centres went strongly for Air O’Brien. It is a new departure for AVestland to witness the supplanting of the Liberal flag, for, for two generations the district has been solidly Liberal. Air Seddon’s few remarks last night were pitched in tile right key. Air Seddon has ly?ld the seat since 1906 against all comers, and lias done the district great service. It lias not been fully realised, or his position on the poll yesterday would have been different. Nevertheless the district has now to rely on Afr O’Brien, and if he is to do the electorate good service he will, while he remains ATember for AVestland, require all the moral support the people can give him to achieve the close attention of~the Government the eountrv needs.

Tite proposal imdieated at the Chamber of Commerce meeting this week to institute a Dominion developmental scheme iti regard to natural industries is one of particular interest and concern to the AVest’ Coast. The people generally can hardly take too much interest in the matter for here nature lias endowed the country side with much latent wealth, requiring only the enterprising spirit and tile capital to ensure important results. The province of Westland has a great source of irttimate wealth in its water power propositions. There are the stores of timber, much of which could be converted into wood pulp. Tho mineral cesmu’cps mus| contain vfprf latent

wealth. In all these rich deposits of ! nnture there will he great development sooner or later. It is for the present j generation however to reach out and endeavour to help itself to enjoy some j of the fruits of the liberal crop which requires to be garnered. The compi- | lation of information as to the resources mentioned should be taken in , hand as the first practical step to at- j tract interest in the district. The distriet requires to advertise its wares, , and failure to do so will but encourage j the neglect in development work which j should, actually, be going forward. The duty of compiling the information should not he costly nor difficult, for j much valuable official information should be at hand at AVellington wlte'e there are records of water power possihilities, the tracts of suitable timber j country for wood-pulping, and some ! useful information in respect to geo- j logical surveys. If this matter could i he collated, and put into pamphlet ; form with useful locality maps it would ; he very useful propaganda matter to 1 send overseas to interest capital abroad in the natural sources of AA re?tlnnd. 1

The attention drawn to wireless broadeasting ns a means Tiotli of pleasure and instruction, remainds us that in tbe first place it has been very practically applied now over many year's in the shipping'world, where the wonders of wireless have rendered great service to humanity as also to industry and commerce. Tts development and advancement for other utilities can he only a matter of time. Indeed, the position rather is that New Zo"lnnd really lags behind in the matter of progress affecting the wider use of wireless. Under tho broadcasting systems in the United States Tor instance, there are said to he millions of receivers licensed for use. hut here in New Zalnnd the number is very restricted indeed. The complaint is made very often about the isolation of the Dominion here in the Antipodes, hut with aviation and wireless, New Zealand

is not as remote as we are prone to think It is now possible hv the wireless installation purposes used in connection with shipping mainly, to hear far across the globe, and it is only lately that the question oT taking advantage of broadcasting privileges which are so common in the northern hemisphere is being taken up actively. Naturally in a great country like the United States, there are facilities to ponularise broadcasting which are not immediately possible here, where a continuity in the supply of suitable matter would he difficult to maintain at a cost which would bo considered inexpensive apart from the installation of the plant. For purely telegraphy purposes in regard to commercial matters of course, wireless lias a snecial claim, hut to nrovide entertainment for the masses, the onnortunitv for practice will l>e limited. Still it will grow. There are great possibilities n 1 1 o'»d. and science imver stands still the wonder mind is active always, and real advancement must come to pass.