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Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1923, Page 2

Thu townspeople will feel very general satisfaction with regaid to the .Ministerial 'at lit tide affecting improvements in toe railwav service to Hokitika. which has been rattier a burning question locally for the past l biro months. Ah Coates i- on tin: side of the townspeople in relation to the requests put forward, and before leaving Hokitika 011 Saturday he gave definite instruction.-, to »| eed up the improvtiH'ius in hand at the railway station, so that everything will be in see ml v Oid-r for the holidai Gallic. The Minister's one regret was that, the overhead bridge would not he ready. This will lie an inconvenience, but under ail the circumstances that is unavoidale. hut the people have the Minister's sympathy iu the matter, and will have his eat nest help to make amends in other directions. For instaiire. lie favors through carriages from Christchurch being tun to Hokitika in continuation of the express sor, ice. and this i- likely to come to pass as soon as the General Manager can make the tecessaty arrangements. The Ministet realises the district is helping itself very pluckily in its exhibition venture, and he wants to encourage that go ahead spirit. We take it the General Ala tinge* was equally impressed hv Ids visit here. ,

It n understood that the .Minister also took a very practical view of the laying down of tlu- hack shunt, up (libsou Quay to provide extra skid room for timber export. All Coates gave eh,so attention to the representations made to him. and put forward a proposition whereby if the millets gave their assent agreeing to pay a special haulage rate till the cost of the noth was liquidated, the construction of tlnline would be gone on with. As a practical way of dealing with the timber stacking difficulty, the Quay lint- is must essential, and it is necessary alike for the Railways Department a.s the saw millers. Mr Coates after view ing the position, recognised the importance of action, and lie offered to move actively if the suggested method of roust ruction were agreed to by the millers. The .Minister’s attitude on the question was in keeping with his genera! leaning to local matters, proving that tin- requests were as necessary as thev were reasonable.. Altogether the Minister's visit may be regarded as a most useful one, and certainly a timely one—-the outcome of which will h--many useful advantages to tin- coninimiitv in the near future.

Ykstkuuav was Armistice Day Anniversary and another solemn observance of | the occasion was held. Armistice time, as was remarked hv rue of the speakers at yesterday's local gathering, was the brightest peiied of the war. tor it brought to an end the orgy of death anil destruction which marked the early doings of the period of the Great Mar. The anniversary of the occasion is well worth celebrating, for the event itself relieved the whole world of a terrible burden of responsibility. The war callid for a stupendous effort, and tin* armistice closed the necessity for that direful action. But in connection with the time wo cannot forget the sacrifice that was necessary to ensure the. force and effect of the occasion. H about the service and sacrifice of those whc-se strength and might dominated the enemy, the war would have gone on for a longer period, or would have hod a different ending. Perhaps the et.tl is not yet, but at least there is au end to the drain on human life, and a finish to the arousing of tho.-e passion 9 which carried the war to its climax—the armistice. Kindly memory and appeoiative thought go out to the fallen and to those who served so generously and magnanimously. It is good to have these reminders of a period when the British race in particular did such mighty deeds for the cause of humanity.