WESTLAND’S PAST AND FUTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1923, Page 1

WESTLAND’S PAST AND FUTURE

A Province ol Great Potentialities.

Future Playground of South Island

, pj v D. J. Evans. Hokitika, in the Tunnel Number of the “Lyttelton Times.”)

Westland has been long anticipating intimate reunion with the Province ol Canterbury, and the realisation o! that aim by the completion of the East and We.-t Coast Railway which will gratify the ardent desires of the people oil both sides of the Ranges and assure

the way to unit mil iniercmir.se which

should he highly profitable to both communii ies and to the Dominion at large. Westland, in January next, will lie celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of

European occupation. Sixty years ago the discovery ol gold on 'the West ( mist brought thousands of sturdy pioneers westward. The band spread up and down the Coast and Itegau to builil up this outpost of Empire. after the gold rush period. Willi the passing of the gold rush period, settlement commenced to grow slowly. The great tracts of forest country spreading from the mountain

sides to ihe sea. hoard were, not very enticing to the pioneer seeking to get on ilie land, but steadily through the passing years, the settler has been clearing the hush and tilling the land, and gradually Westland has become a producing centre lor dairy produce and stock. It is only within comparatively recent years that ilie produce of the farm lias been of pronounced value. Less than a quarter of a century ago the farmer lived almost by barter, exchanging the produce of his small dairy farm for groceries and supplies. With the advent of butter and cheese making, however, a change quickly came in pass, and within the lasi lift eon years, the seltiers up and down Westland have grown into comparative affluence ns a result of the direel returns received month by month from their dairy products.

The pastoral development on (he Coast is quite in its infancy, hut alroad\ the stock production is considerable, and with the improvement in the dairy herds of late, as well as in the importation of situ! stock lot' heel purposes, flic production ol a superior class of stock has mniiilested itself. There will be. as the land continues to he cleared, a growing increase in the number and quality oi the "Lock, anil “prime Westland” will become a term to conjure wit h. VALUE OF THE RAILWAY.

The railway will help materially the man on the land. Hitherto, outside el' blitter and cheese production, there has been always a restricted market for farm pieeduce or stork, but the line will lead 'in the markets ot tlm East Coast, and to the freezing chambers of the main perns, ami supply a continuous channel for the exporl ol the produce of the district. Since gold mining has declined from its former prominence, there has been a- desire to settle the lands of the (oast more and more, and now that the facilities lor transit to n dii'Kt market within eomparaiively ons,\ reach is assured, there must he a marked expansion in the land production. While it is admitted that the mining interests have declined, if must be recognised that the mineral resources of the West Coast are far from being exhausted. Indeed, il should he noted that the mineral deposits on the ( oast are si ill in need of exploration, the gold miner devoted Ills attention in the easily-won gold in the shallow ground. The deep auriferous drifts have not boon lesfcd in a systematic’ manner, nor has the hack country, except in isolated instances, been ai all prospected. The early explorers who passed over South Westland and oilier out-of-the-way parts of the Coast, have left reports and produced specimens which indicate that the country is worthy ol close geological research. GREAT MINERAL WEALTH. At the time of the Exhibition at Christchurch in lfiilii, the late Mr G. ). Roberts (the West Coast Commissioner) assembled a remarkable collection of mineral specimens which had been produced up and down the Most Coast. It was said that these specimens represented every known mineral in the world; yet although this indication of great natural wealth existing on t!ie Const was disclosed, there has not been any adequate effort to attempt to prove the intrinsic value ol the deposits, by either preliminary prospecting or active development. This is ;i matter which sooner or later should he taken in hand, either lev iho Stale or by private enterprise. To encourage the latter, it would be well if a mining policy were initiated which would give special facilities lor private enterprise in regard to available areas with suitable access provided. while, in addition, ii is reasonable In expect that a liberal subsidy or reward should be offered in connection with the discovery of mineral deposits of value.

PROFIT A FILE COED DREDGING. A few wars ago in connection with the mining expansion, great help was given to the industry by the introduction of the gold dredge, but owing mainly In the lack of power, the machines were not equal to dealing with much of the rough strata encountered. Within the last eighteen months, the Californian system of gold dredging has been introduced at Ilium Flal. near Hokitika, and the company lias been rewarded with very satisfactory returns. The dredge operating is a large one and lias adequate power in relation to ils size, hut it is limited in the depth of its operations. The results, however, are said to he so encouraging that a higher powered dredge capable of working to a greater depth is contemplated. ami it is possible before the

end of tlm year, that a project of considerables dimensions will be launched by the enterprising promoters of the scheme, to further work the auriferous deposits within the extensive areas held by the company in Westland. No doubt encouraged by the success attending the* working of Riinu Flat, local enterprise' has been encouraged to undertake the prospecting of an adjoining flat believed to he auriferous, and tlm Mines Department is granting a subsidy to assist in the boring operations to be carried out at Mnnnnui. Flat.

lIV I) R O-1*: I .i'XTil I C I)KVKLOPMJEXT, Associated with the successful dredging now going on nt Ilium Flat is the ni:it ler of hydro-electric development for the district. The present dredge is driven by electric power, derived from water taken from bake Kanieri. The power developed by the present scheme is fully re(|iiired for the operation of the initial dredge. To operate the second dredge which is suggested additional power will he required. Mr Sehreber, who lately reportcl for the Christchurch City Council on a hydroelectric scheme from the Waimakariii, lias also visited the Coast, and reportoil on alternative schemes from bake Kanieri to obtain additional power, and, also, for a further scheme to obtain power from Tonroha Canyon in the Kokatahi district, Westland. It will lie seen from this large prospective enterprise ilia! the mining capabilities of the West Coast, are far from exhausted, and with the influx ot people to he brought, to (lie Coast; hv the railway and the increased interest in the development of the district, tin success attending the evnture adjacent to Hokitika will be encouragement and warm n try for like enterprises to be undertaken in localities where the conditions are believed to he equally as attractive. In this connection a rather important scheme is afoot in regard to South Westland in particular, and with the capital available there are sure to he) important mining developments at no very disiant date in a locality where much alluvial gold was won in the palmy days of the Coast. VAST TTMISFR .SCPPbIKS. A reference has been made already to the vast tracts of forest country. Westland is a veritable storehouse for the rest ot the Dominion with regard to timber supplies for the future. There are several large milling ventures in operation, in connection with which there has been a very large capital outlay ill equipping plants and Imiltling iron tramways over long distances to reach remote areas connected with the sawmills. The existing sawmills have a very long life, and in addition there aiv still great, areas ot country untouched, which in time to come will be Ink on up b\ the saw miller, and the product ''ypnri.ed to other pail... of \cn Zealand as requirement- necessitate. In regard to limber supplies for Canterbury, particularly North Canterbury, and probably ns far south as Oamerii, Ibe Midland Railway should be a great boon, not only assuring regular supplies, but also resulting in cheaper transport hv rail than is possiblel by ship, via Cook Strait, owing lo tin- numher of iimes I lie coiiimoildy has to he handled before it reaches (ho consumer. Till-: •\Y()t)l> Pil.P TP A 1)1-1." With regard to the forests of Westlain!. there still.remains to he developed the "wood pulp trade." In recent years samples of New Zealand timbers have- been sent to Ftirope and elsewhere for experimental purposes, and the replies indicate that good quality papers could he maiiuiacliired. Ti can only be a matter of time before this industry will develop Oil [lie Coast, and that time is going to lie materially shortened by the convenience the railways will alford for quick' and cheaper transport to the markets of the Dominion.

In I lie lar south of Westland, which at present is very sparsely populated, there are same magnificent tracts of limber eounirv adjacent to canal bay harbours, and the land is said io he suitable for close settlement. The Government Resident Commissioner, who has been looking into (his matter is impressed with the possibilities of establishing a .settlement in the Jackson’s Hay-Cascade district, and in conjunction with tile immigration policy of the country. If provision is made for the taking up of Crown Lands under a scheme which would assist the inim:granls to enjoy an assured livelihood while developing the farm lands, the area referred In presents a suitable locality for such an experiment. As it would not be economical to waste ilu- line forest growing on the land, it

'lmiild be possible, either for the State or private enterprise working under State concessions to take up the milling of sin-li country in advance, to ensure the land being cleared in a profit and the revenue u-ed economically for tile benefit of the community which is lo set tle on the la nil. WONDER FIT, SCENIC (: I.(>R LI’.S. In considering the value of the railway to the West Coast, and. in fact, to the Dominion at large, the scenic glories of the West Coast should not be overlooked. Afore often than not. hitherto. West land has been out of the track of the average overseas tourist passing through the Dominion, hut with ready means of access bv railway the district will come within easy reach of those touting New ’Zealand, and the special and unique attractions with regard to bush and mountain scenery, rivers and lakes, and the* wonderful accessible glaciers, must attract an unbroken line of visitors practically all the year round. The seasons on the Coast are very equable. There is no great heat and no severe cold, while the bright .sunshine for the year averaged about two thousand hours annually for tiie past three years. The tourist. therefore, can make his visit almost at any time of the year, and each season tins its particular attractions. The Coast i- therefore, an “all the year rouimVS tourist resort, and this fact, combined with the convenience of railway traffic, will enable visitors to make the journev at their own pleasure. I here are good roads to all the principal resorts and the chief rivers on the southern journey, as far as Waiho Glacier are now practically all bridged. Motoring services are maintained by good ears, and the number of privately owned ears finding their way to the Coast is increasing season by season.

AGP, ICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES

It is as well for visitors, when taking a. holiday on the .Coast, not to limit tlieir time, hut- to .make stages at their own convenience aiid visit the different localities, where there are diversified opportunities for recreation. There are many beautiful lakes besitfo which an interesting holiday could be spent. There is an opportunity for quite a novel stay at Okarito, where there is an expansive lagoon for recreation, and where is presented a wonderful view of the Southern Alps, a s.iglit which was described by Sir Julius von Ilaiwt in his tour of the Coast in the seventies as the most wonderful Alpine panorama in the world. There are also the glaciers at Waiho and Welieka, which may be traversed under the guidance of very capable guides, while there are many remarkable bush tracks into the mountain country, as well as the wonderful walks over the southern bush roads. As Air Julian Grande has remarked in his revised views of impressions on the Coast, -‘there is no reason why the West Coast should not become I tile playground of the South Island.” j But it will be more than a play-ground [ —it will be the chief source of the j Dominion timber supply for years to j come. It will yield vast treasure as its ( mineral resources ate developing. It i will become, a great pastoral country, f adding enormously to the annual output of the Dominion in dairy produce. Its land, its forests, its minerals, its scenic glories—nil requiring develop-ment-lire assets which constitute Westland a veritable land of promise, and a great licld for capital and enterprise to work to profitable advantage. The coining of the East and West Coast railway renders great develop, territory will be added to the- wealthyielding portion of New Zealand.