The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is in-Corporate the west coast Times.) TUESDAY, JULY 17th. 1923

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is inCorporate the west coast Times.) TUESDAY, JULY 17th. 1923

j IMPROVING COMMUNICATION. ; Thk Coast is coming into its own, and Westland is participating in the* improved faro living served up. Hokitika is bectuiing n more important rentro. Tile authorities are recognising that already, and those folk have the means of seeing further ahead than we stay at homos, hemmed in as we have been for so long by the harrier of tho Southern Alps. Tho Alps have been pierced, and our commerce is at. lust, passing through the portal marking the highway to greater pros|>ority. Lust week rakes of railway trucks of coal passed through to the East Coast —some of the timber going as far south ns Dunedin ! So a now ora dawns. But- the authorities have visioned the rising sun of greater proslority in advance. They have seen the anticipating halo which is heralding the dawn of the changing times. So it is that we have gangs of men at work improving the local railway accommodation to handle the increased traffic. Strangers are coming into our midst, and sewing greater opportunities here than in any other part of the Dominion, are setting up in trade. Hokitika is to become a centre of the dairying industry because of the Firm conviction of tho promoters that it has possibilities in that respect which no other centre on tho Coast can offer. The Telephone Department is realising likewise what is to happen in Hokitika, and is taking in hand the betterment of communication with tho outside world. In about sis weeks' time tlio metallic telephone line will he operating between Christchuhch and Greymouth. On Sunday last- the line was laid through tho famous tunnel which in tho origin of all our new found prosperity. The telephone connection between Greymouth and Hokitika is to ho increased one hundred per cent. Hokitika via Kumnra is to be brought into direct telephone connection with Otira. Thereupon a duplex telegraph service will he installed at Hokitika, the latter to handle press news so as not to unduly delay the transmission of ordinary and commercial messages. At present, often with protracted delay,' press messages have to be retransmitted through Greymouth, and not only do the telegrams frequently arrive late for the dirtily newspaper, but. the ordinary telegraphic business is delayed. With direct press telegrams to Hokitika without any transmission delays at Greymouth, the cause for complaints heretofore will cease. South Westland is not to be overlooked, and a metallic service is to be run !o Hari Hari as soon as the present staff is finished with the metallic line to Christchurch. Another boon to Hokitika will To tho shortening of the telephone line to Greymouth. by abandoning the Marsden circuit, and taking a more direct line via Kumara and Paroa, This

will also cheaiien the toll charges fo: telephone messages from Hokitika to Greymouth, and vice versa. The present metallic lino between Hokitika and Goldsborough is to be extended to Kuniara, giving n more direct and better connection for conversations over that route. It will be seen from this brief summary that the town will soon no very much better served by its telephone system, and obviously tlio next stop will be in regard to a continuous telephone service all the week round, day and night. With the through connection with Canterbury the continuous service will be very useful indeed, and from what can be gathered tlie additional costs for business premises will be but £2 a year, and for private users only £1 a year extra. As the Government Department has faith in the place by improving the telephone service to a first-class standard, so the people should have enough faith in themselves to make the fullest possible use of the hotter services provided ami so enjoy real progress.