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Hokitika Guardian, 18 February 1924, Page 2

In regard to the possible future of the district, a writer in the Lyttelton Times last week went on to sltv that the West ( oast is not generally regarded as a farming province. Most people associate tiie Coast with c-oal and timher, hut, although these may he the main products of the province, pastoral farming is quite ail important industry. As tuo lili.slt is cut out the farming indu.s----t. v w ill become more and more important to the Coast, just as it has done in Taranaki. Certain parts of the Coast are eminently suited for dairy farming and cattle raising and although the roil id ry is not so suitable as Canterbury for sheep fanning, still it has been proved chat good quality sheep and lambs can he raised there. The Ar lloir’s Pass tunnel has been an immense boon to the farmers on the otlu'l side of the ranges, for with the opening of the tunnel it is now so much easier for them to get their stock to tile Addington market, the market which, as a general rule, sets the standard of stock prices for the Dominion. Not. only is it noU easier for A\ est Const farmers to get their stock to Addington but further they are able *o get it there in better condition. Hell iv the opening of the tunnel all stock from the Coast had to he driven through the Otiril Gorge from Otira to Arthur’s Pass. The journey was not a very long one, only about twelve miles, hut it was very arduous especially lor lambs. The result was that stock, which perhaps left a AVest Coast faun as ‘-fat” would arrive at Addingtor in little better than stoic condition. Bmobe the tunnel was opened AA est Coast lambs would often arrive it: Addington in such a weak condition that they had piaeiioallv to be lifted out of the trucks, and naturally they did not foim a very attractive proposition to buyers. To-day stork can he trucked at. say. Boss and railed straight through to Addington and arrive at the market in just as good condition as similar stock from many parts nt Canterbury. The result is that at Addington now AA est Coast- stock is realising much hotter prices than it did in the days before the tunnel wits opened. The completion of the through service has probably meant an increase of sit least 2s (id a head oil fat lambs from tin.- AA’est Coast and in many instances it has meant- all the difference between Const farmers making a profit on stock sold sit Addington instead of a loss. Another point is that the handling of stock on the journey from the AVest ('east- to Addington has Keen reduced to a minimum. Before the tunnel was opened stock had to he railed to Otira, ertrucked there, driven over the Pass and trucked again at Arthur’s Pass. This enf mekLng and rot rucking has now been done away with and so has the extra expense involved. The benefits accruing to AVest Coast farmers from the Arthur’s Pass tunnel do not apply of course only to stuff sold at Addington. A AVest Coast farmer can now send lii.s stock direct to the works if ho so desires quite as easily as many Canterbury farmers can and fuihe can now purchase slock in Canterbury and get it to his farm much more expeditiously and more cheaply' than i: 1 pre-tunnel days. All this, of course, is a big thing for the AVest Coast farmers. There is no doubt that the tunnel h«» proved and will continue inereas ingly to prove of immense benefit to tin farming community of Westland.