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Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1923, Page 2

Tiik day for the ceremony of opening the Arthur’s Pass tunnel and starting a regular East and West railway service over the Midland route., draws near. The season of the year and the haste of tlie I’a.rli amentarians to return to the more comfortable quarters in the big buildings in Wellington tend to curtail the outward display. In any ease, the present Minister of Public Works is not given to much "frill” in'ceremonials of the kind associated with the opening of ft public work. Recently, in the Taranaki district, Mr Coates arrived to ojK'n an important bridge, ne «as brief and to the point. “Here is the bridge you have teen waiting for. I declare it open. Make tho most u;;e of it you can.” If lie is as brief at the Otira on Saturday, he will say: “Here is the tunnel you have been waiting for. I declare it open. Make the most use cf it you can.” While this “open sesame” act has something to commend it in contrast with a long dreary speech punctuated with statistics, most folk will agree that Saturday’s function calls for something more than passing attention. The tun not is the' biggest public; work m the Dominion. It is the longest tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere, as it is also in the British Empire. Actually it is the seventh longest tunnel in the world, so it. is “some” work, and wo should all ho proud of it.

Howbvkr, even with all these considerations, the ceremonial is to Ik* of a tabloid nature, so far ns speeches and routine are concerned. There are to he several speakers, and ns the whole stay at Otira is limited to less than two hours, the orators must lie brief indeed. The West Const visitors will have the longer stay at Otira, and are to make their initial trip through the tunnel to Arthur's Pass in advance of the official party arriving from Christchurch. When both trains have returned to the Coast side of the ranges tho principal function is to take place at the Power Station near Otira terminus. There the Prime Minister is to bo the principal speaker. There will ho probably other speakers, when the two trains, one containing the Canterbury visitors and the other the Coast visitors, would proceed to the tunnel mouth, where the Minister ol Public Works will have his short say at the brief ceremonial which is to declare the lino opon for traffic. Hero tho East and West Coast visitors will shako hands and part, the Canterbury folk returning to Cnristchurch, nnd the Coasters departing for their homo destinations. But if the ceremony be brief it will still usher in a new era for tho Coast which will bo brought into direct touch with the railway system of the South Island, nnd in that consummation one complaint- about isolation will have passed away, and the district must advance exceedingly.

Titk London ‘Times” summarises as follows the latest German offer in the matter of reparations :—“The German Government proposes to pledge the railway system, taus securing an annual payment of £25,000.000, to begin in four years’ time. A mortgage on the entire business assets of the country is proposed to yield another £25,000,000 annually from the same date, Further, the Government offers

to pledge a. portion of the Customs revenue, the Excise on tobacco, beer, wine and sugar, nncl the receipts of the spirits monopoly. The Customs and Exciso receipts a.ro estimated to he worth £10,000,003 per annum at the present time, making a. total of £60,000,000 which would automatically increase as Germany's economic activity was restored. Finally, Germany formally acknowledges her liability to make reparation, and luys emphasis on her suggestions that a conference be summoned to determine how best she may discharge it.”