EAST AND WEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1923, Page 4

EAST AND WEST.

TRADE TIIROFOH THE TENTXEL. ,Christchurch Press). A number of West Const visitors, in(•hiding some West .Coast members of the liidnstrial Association, urtemledthe half-yearly mooting of the Canterbury Industrial Association at (.ihri.-dchurvh on Wednesday night, and contributed some interesting views on the question of (lie possibilities of trade between Canterbury and the West Coast. An address by .Mr 11. .'larmier served to introduee the subject. COM MERC! AD EEEECT OE THE TEX NED. Mr 11. -I. Msrrincr gave an address dealing with the West Coast railway , and how it it going to a (feet CliriMehurch eotiiinert ially. lie briefly deseril>ed Ibe general character of the country on the West Coast which, he said, was loiailv different from Co country oil this side of the range. Tito plentiful and line wa 1-111 rains o.inonenoed on tl e West Coast resulted in grass growing all tin.' year round. The completion of the Arthur’s Pa-s tunnel wa . going to alter the whole e! E.o industries on the Coast, and he believed that in the future more wealth would lie gin out of the country from agricultural pursuits and the dairying industry. Referring to the gaps in the Midland Railway—bet ween Tnangalma Junction and Clenhope, and Inangahna Junction ami Wc-ip.oi. he said that, the policy should he to get ihfso lines linked ill) and brought inio the earning area, -o Ilia. Cnnferbury coal 1 get the benelit of 1 he , u.si mine- in tinWest pari di-.riei. I’rien iog 1., 1!w dairying imltlsi rv. be ■ mod iliai in ibe Reeflnn disiricl doiv r.a- one rivnncry with Id! sunnlier.-. which turned out Did tons of butter, and disti ibutt d tl 1,(11 HI in cash to Us suppliers. He quoted Don! Islington's eulogy of the A\esi Coast, and of its possibilities as an agricultural district. At present •at tie were being brought over lo Canterbury. 1m -aid. for hardening, and they were s,,nw of the finest ~i„ck deali with. lie gave details of the cord measures in Ihe Re, Don , u id other districts, and said lliat the owners el one mine were nivpaivd in soil coal ar (lie nil mom h for I(!- per ion. ER FIGHT RATES. He had asked Mr .1. ID Mite Ml. 1 laflie manager nl <in i-i. Ini eel,. t<, -up. pl.v him with pan ieular- ef Hie i.ailw ar freight on eenaiu goods and eoininodilltls. i'll 1 Mitchell had done mi, staling that the rates quoted would lie mi a continuous mileage providing the sent tariff is in operation, and eial rale was charged for the tuiiiie! section when the Railv. e\ Depart me lit officiallv takes over (he 'unopened per--1 ion.

Tie. I .He- iv.-rc a- follow - : REE ETON Tu ( lllit-Tl HCD’t !!. I’m ton.

u i*i f : b m.-s .1 : (■ rocerios, liif>l l > j* spirits, i immure parked), bnishware. etc. b la.-s Ii: Bottled ale, boots, china. oil ji.-tr !:;-(E). machinery. etc. f i;>-s (': A!., in lad!':. eggs. 1 r:t. na.il-, poultry, barb 'vii o, etc. - la•• 4 I) : Bacon (parked). l/> ii<l: •i- I wine, butier, cheese, eorrugaf nil iron, wire not 1 ino. etc. Mr Mai finer said that the Railway Department wore taking' mi'r the ttr,r petted portion of I lie line (the Arthur's ' I’a-s srefton t on .September Ist. amf it ' uns probable. dial tie rales above ' quoted would l>e in operation. nio pnssTim.iTiids. i Regarding da. pnssibiliLv ~f trade i between (.’nmerliiii'y and the West (iie-i, he said da'ii' in.the pad, tiie '

"hole oi the trade of the \Wd t‘ri;ts( had hfe 11 done by Well in eon ; C'anl.erbnr.v laid never (tad a chant e to ;;rt it . f.otls over there, ft had liven pleasure to him to notice a day or tv.u a a lorry convoying a number ol' vases, apparently of drapery, and addressed to f! ret molt; It and Hokitika, to the tail" ay. It was one oi the first .shipments ami showed what was like!',' -. act rite it the trade with the (on-' w is I' oiled alter. The Welling. ,n pe,,pl, would riot ti;no up their trade with the C'ojist without a struggle and the Coast people were not going out of their wav to trade with ( hristehitrch unless the Christchurch people looked idler the trade. It behoved them to flu so. There was no reason why thev sltoitlrl not he aide to coin pete against—in la.et. io improve on—Wellington prices, j their overhead charges being less than in Wellington. When the West Const j began to receive settlers they would I want clothing, machinery and everything else, and nts opinion was that there were tremendous possibilities he-1 fore the West Const, the fringe of which had not yet been touched. No one could understand, or visualise, what the trade would lie between the Coast and Canterbury i’ll or .'ill years hence. It lay with the merchants of Christchurch to cultivate the West Coast trade by stocking everything the people on the other side of the range required. If fie might offer a suggestion to assist in encouraging trade, it would he that they should support tlie Hokitika Exhibition. (Applause). West Coast people knew very little about Qmterbury industries, and the Exhi-

bition would give them an opportunity to learn about them. Another sugges-1 timt ho would make was that a party of l twenty or forty business men from 1 Christchurch should visit the Coast to j see the country and its possibilities:.) by that means they would leant more than by reading or listening to addresses. It this lnst-nient ioned suggestion were taken up. he would he glad to take charge of the itinerary. (Applause). WEST COASTERS’ VIEWS. Mr R. Wild, a member of the Hokitika Exhibition Executive Council, said that i\lr Marriner had not overpainted matters in connexion with the possibilities of the West Coast. Tie! had referred to one dairy factory; lie ; (the- speaker) had in his mind another, I • at Kokatahi, the butter from which j < brought £3-5,000. (Hear, hear). In ; < connexion with the opening or the tun* t nel, West Coasters had already expert- ] eneed a saving of 32s per ton on chnif t by getting it. from Christchurch, in- c stead of by sea transport. (Applause.) j

Referring to the Exhibition, lie said that they had realised the importance of the question of accommodation for visitors, and had handled it very thoroughly. Hotelkeepers were enlarging their premises, and the Ex liibiticm executive had made arrangeincuts to accommodate 1000 people otherwise. The president (Mr W. J. Duller) was putting the same enthusiasm into the conduct of the affairs of the Exhibition ns lie did into the eon duct of his own business. (Applause).

Mr \Y. Wilson, another member of the Exhibition Executive, said that they had adopted as a slogan “Westward Ho!” They would remember that Salvation Yen, in Charles Kingley's novel, had said: ‘'Amen, amen, unions! era. When ever we went Westward Ho we prospered, and do propscr to this dav.” AT CANTER MERY’S FEET.

Mr R. F. Perhnm, another miuuher of the Exhibition Executive, said that the completion of the tunnel had made West Coasters feel flint they lived in a suburb of Ohri-Ichurch, and he was quite sure that the through railway communication was going to lie for tiebenefit of those on both sides of the bills, There was no doubt that West ( ousters would lim.i it a great advantago 10 be able 10 telegraph to Christchurch lor vvluo they wanted and get il over the same day. As far as the West Coast trade wits concerned, the Christchurch people had it at their feet, and it was tip to them to make the. most of their opportunities by keeping the necessary storks and supplying as required. If they did so there was 110 doubt about that. Wellington would noi have a look in. So mr. Wellington had had it all her own way. Mr W. R. Kettle, chairman of the Hreymoutli it handier of Commerce, expressed his pleasure at being present, and, referring to the Exhibition, said that Creymouth would do its best, to assist ii in every way. Mr I). J. Evans, the secretary and treasurer of the Exhibit ion, said that the Exhibition project had been most siiei ossfu Ily launched: the guarantee Du in | now .stood at t'Jt'.OO, and they now felt on perfectly safe grounds. (Hear, hear). .Mr Marriuer's address bad called attention to the great leinives of 1 lie West Coast and also foilin' necessity for Canterbury people to take an interest in the exhibition. There was big scope for the extension of business between the two coasts, and he did not doubt that Canterbury pee,pie Would take good rare to push trade in a proper wav. Not only as regard- the cheapness of freight. but in tin- lime saved in gelling goods to tile Coast, was the tunnel going to prove a big advantage. 'Chen I hoy

had to dop.'inl on Wellington and other places tor supplies there had been e.m-.-.nlerablo delay: by means of ibe telephone, Ihe telegraph, and the tunnel 1 hero would lie a great saving in w spirt of tile trading- hoi ween the coast-, Mr Evan- than env a number of details regarding the West (oast Exhibition, and said, regarding Mr Mar riner’s suggestion that a party of ChrisU-liui'eh business men should visit the Coast. that the Coaster- Would If plea-ed to soe them and to mahr- their visit not only pleasurable but institutive. Regarding i ln> Industrial .'.s-, ; . eiation's ••Industries Week." In- suggested that a party from the West Coast might be organised and said that ils members would have an opportunity to meet the Christchurch munurncltirers and discuss matters of common in-t-ere.st. . Applause'.

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