The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) WEDNESDAY. JFLY 11th, 1923. POWER FOR WEST HAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) WEDNESDAY. JFLY 11th, 1923. POWER FOR WEST HAND.

£ Hypro-Ei,k(T[uo power for Westland's S general use is sure to romp, Tlie y district, has many sources of power, ■ and tame of t.hoso are certain to ho S tapped on an extensive scale. The jg L’ower Rond lias tin* main rijht in m respect, to development, hut is tied na- | luridly by the financial ia-aie. Il will 3 bo a costly process to develop some ol jg the jnosi j remising of the power | schemes. A middle course is more a likely. That would he accomplished by joining forces with the mining deve- | lopinent. companies which have or are * to adopt eloetiie power for more ex--15 vended operations. In thi*. regaad j; there is the company now supplying d Ilokitikn with electric light. A dovo- ■ lopinent. more or less extensive is con--3 tem]i|atod. The immediate County 3 area which could be served from the | same source is that of Knnieri, Wood- | stock, Itiinii. Kokatahi, and KoitoJ rangi. Within that area are several j sawmills where electric power might i l)o preferred to steam, and in nddij tion there are numerous milking j plants—an industry which will be j steadily expanding from now on. Tho j reticulation of such an area would in itself he no small undertaking, but it ) is likely from all accounts that- the | mnt.ter "ill he gone into very soon I with tho object of ascertaining what finnneo would be required, and the r<v | lation of probable income to the exJ penditure. The Aniliura district is another area where no doubt power would be in demand for both sawmills and milking machines. There appears to ho every likelihood that the Awatuna dredge "ill, in the near future, lie equipped electrically, and if this lie so, such a development would serve the Stafford-AraJi urn area. Lako Mud-

gee would be most probably the sou re of power, utilising tho considerable fall from the intake which is gainec by the Kelly’s Terrace water race. I is believed that not only is such r scheme possible, hut it is also liighh probable. The time appears to b< drawing near when action in the dl reetion of power for Westland will b< more directly focussed. It is understood that in any case the electric power and light ior Hokitika is to be improved considerably in the near future. The present load is taxing the plant to the full extent, and an enlarged steam plant, which will give greater power is likely to be put in shortly. For many purposes electric light and power have very ready advantages, and if installed economically n.re of g’.eat value to a community. Industrial development "ill bo encouraged, and advances in other directions secured. It is therefore of importance to glean that the matter of power for Westland is being kept more than iu mind, and that in fact certain schemes are being evolved, with every probability of being put into practice very shortly. This progress is in keeping with tho times, emphasising the assurance of the general now flowing into the district.

Comparisons are said to be odious, but it. is a fact for comparative consideration, nevertheless, that London is perturbed about accommodation for the Exhibition period, just as Hokitika is. ttf course the former will be dealing with millions of extra people, while the latter will have hundreds extra to cope with—but there is a problem, relatively for both places. Indeed, from now on this district is going to have the accommodation question ever before it, unless something heroic is done. The town needs more accommodation and better. Canterbury folk tell us it will handsomely pay any of the Coast towns—or all of them—to plunge thoroughly into the accommodation question. The Coast is going to become the holiday icsort, the playground of the Dominion, once the through railway is an accomplished fact. Scores of people arc waiting to come this way and enjoy the novelty of nature's wonderland which Westland presents. Exhibition, or no exhibition it would be well for the people seriously to think out ways and means to establish either first-class hotels, or induce those in the trade to make the most of the opportunity which "ill present- itself from now on. Signs are not wanting that a move shall lie made ill the direction hinted at. and the matter is so important for the futuro of the town, that a beginning cannot be made too soon. Ai/rnoron the conference last week with regard to harbor matters did not reach a definite conclusion, there was no doubt Mime' value to be derived from the intimate discussion which took place. The position ) resents a problem which needs conning over. The general trend of the discussion was to indicate that, given shipping, the improved state of the bar would lead to the establishment of regular trading. The difficulty was to rapture the boats, to entice them to Hokitika. Now that the East Coast- trade is going to l>e catered for mainly by the railway, there should lie more sloping available for the North Island trade, and tnis easing up might ho the opportunity of the local port to come into its own. When circumstances a few years ago forced shipping to Hokitika, steamers came here two deep, and found no difficulty in the task, hut no sooner "ere the northern ports reopened than the boats ceased to make Hokitika a port of call. Ihe matter of sloping locally is a case of the folk doing something to help themselves. Despite the railway there will still be considerable imports from the north which the Midland Railway cannot touch, and as there will be plenty i f timber to export for many decades, the question of local shipping should bo possible with a display of courage and enterprise.