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Hokitika Guardian, 19 December 1922, Page 2

Professor Gregory, outlining the ( course pursued, said that starting from Rangoon the first stage was to Bhamo, which may be regarded as the real j starting point Bhamo (on the Upper j Irrawadil was left on May Bth.. nnd a march made to Tengayuch (shown on some maps as Momein). where- the . Chinese staff was collected and equip- I ment completed. From there the | journey was eastw-urd, and five d-ivs . from Tengyueh country was entered j which hitherto has been geologically unknown. The river Mekong was crossed, and an area so far blank on t'.’c maps was traversed. The Loma Ho. a tributary of the Mekong, was traced from Yon-Lung Lichiang-Fu was safely reached, and from there « descent made to the Yangtse-Kiang, tlie valley of which was followed for some distance. Turning westward to Mekong again, a crossing w-as made by the Leitipin Pass ever the mountains between the two valleys arriving at Wei Bzi. Clmese Thibet was entered, and the journey continued north up the valley, and excursions made westwa d ever' tin Si-la Pass (14,300 ft). A return was made to the Mekong, by ft more iiortlicfu route over a pass at the foot of Mount Francis Gamier. The caravan was rejoined, and the journey continued to Atunbyu. Excursions were made over Jemsa-la by a 17.000 ft pass and over Niema-la (16.800 ft), on the rim of Yangtze-Kiang basin. Returning from Atiintzu, a visit was made to the glaciers of Pei-ma-Sbnn (White Horse mountain). Tlie return was made to Lichiang-fu by a series of high passes to the Yangtze-Kiang and down its valley. Fiom Liehiaiig-fu the route led through Ho-ehing and over a pass (11.500 ft) to Niii-kni to Tab-'" and thence to Tengyiiech where the staff was disbanded, and hack to Bhnnio. The journey was started early n May and reached Bhamo again on September Bth.. so that just on four months were spent in the wilds. Professor Gregory is well satisfied with the results obtained hv tlie expediiton, of which the main object was tlie investigation of the structure ol mountains of South Western China and their relations to the mountain system of South-Eastern Asia. Geological specimens have been collected, and ineluded a number of fossil remains, which it is hoped will he specially useful n establishing ii relationship of separate mountain systems; botanical and zoological collections have also been made hut it will not be for some time that these can he properly arranged and investigated. Professor Gregory is proceeding to liis home in Gkisgow and the collections made by tlie expedition will bo investigated at the university there, and specimens will eventually he dstribnted to Glasgow to tile British Museum of Natural History and to the India Museum. Calcutta .

The critical remarks of Mr Holland M.P., in regard to the flagrant breach of faith by the Government on the subject of timber royalties from State forests and in reference to revenue ill dispute from other sawmillihg rights granted through the Warden’s Court, both matters seriously affecting the revenue of local bodies on the West Const were very much to the point; What Mr Holland said about the passing of the forestry legislation was entirely in keeping with tlie facts. Tim members of Parliament, would have stonewalled the hill as a. gross, inequitable piece of legislation to local government, if the special clause had not been inserted that a commission would ho sot up. to review the revenue side of the question with equitable consideration to those local bodies which were to lm deprived of revenue by the national poliev in regard to the forestry administration. It is an old story, as our readers will he aware, this subject of royalties revenue. The issue < Top pod up in pre-war days when Mr Murdoch at. the County Council table drew attention to the fact that the Government was wrongfully appropriating revenue and portions of revenue.'which, according to legal interpretation should lie going to the County Councils. The matter was submitted to eminent counsel and Mr Murdoch’s interpretation of the law was upheld, and the Govern - I ment was approached. The matter went before the Crown Law officers, ' whose decision was never known out- | side, hut it was significant that the Government paid over to the local bodies a substantial sum and refused to < supply any detailed particulars of the amount. An effort to glean the information failed. Again and again requests were made and finally Mr Massey promised an enquiry. That enquiry I never came to pass, nor has the law I of last year been carried out whereby Parliament empowered the Gov- ! eminent to set up a Royal Commission | to investigate the matter fully. The j local bodies have right on their side. Two or three payments have been made | by the Government but no particulars will be given how the sums are made u]). There is the feeling that many hundreds if not thousands of pounds are still owing, and in justice to the ratepayers, the County Councils are well advised to persist in the effort to secure that measure of justice which tlie I law provides for. The West Coast ! members of Parliament have a special | duty in this matter, and judging by 5 the remarks of Mr Holland the local 1 bodies will have wholehearted support | from that quarter to secure the equiti able consideration allowed by the law, but denied by the Government. • Visitors from the West Coast who have had the opportunity „of inspecting the New Zealand Exhibition now I running at Christchurch are loud in j their praise of the attractive chnrI actor of the display. The exhibition • is very largely attended and is going ! off with a great swing of success.' Tt is admirably directed from all accounts. | the management being organised with complete nnd enthusiastic thoj'ougHness. Coasters who ran find the time, w tAfl opportunity! shmijd eiR

detivor to sec the extent of New Zealand industry. A visit to the displaj satisfies one that Ne'w Zealand is a more self-contained country than moat people are aware of. The exhibition has particular interest to West Coasters for the reason that it might well form a pattern for the Westland Jubilee exhibition which it is hoped to have running, in a year’s time. The gentleman responsible for the internal organisation of the Christchurch exhibition is interesting himself in the ex--I,ihition to lie held at Hokitika, and has already drafted a rough building scheme for the exhibition to be held

I here. The proposal covers is ' known as the Town Hall site, andrs selected in preference to the Cass Square site because the latter would be too | costlv for buildings for the period the i exhibition would be running. The ' Town Hall site, by utilising the Drill 1 Hall. Horticultural Hall and portion of Camp Street, linking up the existing buildings hv a system of uniform annexes, can be made to give as much floor space as is available at Christchurch just now. It will lie a systematic design in a square block, so ■ as to afford a- complete thoroughfare. The proposal is to build hack from the rear of the Town Hall to the belltower, thence link up with the Drill and Horticultural halls. Another annexe will run up Camp Street towards Revell Street, while the link from Camp Street hack to tire Town Hall will cross just clear of the smelting house in the Dank of New Zealand grounds. There will he. provision for dual entertainments, one in a separate building where a cinema may he employed. and the other off Camp Street avenue where general entertainments will lie given on the lines adopted at Christchurch. Provision will he made for tea rooms etc., in the centre of the exhibition, thus affording a central rendezvous. The main entrance is suggested provisionally from the Town Hall which should he specially embellished for the occasion. The main Westland court, it is also suggested should be right at the entrance so as ■to secure the first attention of visitors. Good araligements in regard to exits, passage-ways and lighting etc., can be made, and it would appear that altogether a not too costly scheme can he organised which will give the Coast a first-class exhibition to celebrate its sixty years of existence.