The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 19th, 1924. HELPING OURSELVES.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, JULY 19th, 1924. HELPING OURSELVES.

A PAKAtiUArn going the rounds of the newspapers just now states that a serious position "ill shortly have to Ik> fated in the timber industry in New Zealand because of the importation oi foreign timbers into the country. With luis situation on the one hand, and on the other the restriction of export of native timbers, the industry tineatens to he very seriously stilled. When the position is pondered over it is realised that while New Zealand does for the people in it, many of the folk ftiil to realise their obligations in regard to doing something of practical value for New Zealand to help tho country industrially. The timber industry has a dead set made against it by a section of administrators and officials who appear to Imj heat on destroying the trade to satisfy a fetisli in regard to opinions held affecting tho supply of timber for the unborn millions. The disposition of the peoplo governing the administration just now is such that it is suicidal for auyono to enter upon the timber industry whore large capital investment is involved. The money will lie hopelessly sunk under the present regime which is bent on restricting export trade more and more, till it ceases altogether. This is very unfortunate for this district with its vast stores of standing timbers. Westland under tho policy is to remain a great timber domain, a preserve which capital may not touch and great tracts of country must continue to remain as nature endowed them—indefinitely. But it is not in regard to timber alone this embargo on trailing development is laid. We notice in reference to dairying, merchants are not too ready to help the sale of the local product. It is said one of the country butter factories has several hundred boxes of this season's butter in store, which it is unable to dispose of been use the merchants are importing outside butter obtainable at a fraction less than the local product. In this way, several hundreds of pounds are being sent out of tho district, and tho dairy farmers here have to wait in patience while their pioduct is unloaded slowly ill competition with an outside article, tho oniv virtue of which is to give tho middleman a fractional profit on each 1 omul of butter sold in retail. Tlio remedy is with the people who object to this neglect of local trade, by asking and not accepting any hut ■ the local manufactured butter. The far

ers. too, may express their objection to the non-encouragwineut df Ioe:i! industry. The real point is, however, that it is only by co-operative effort among ourselves that local affairs will derive their best support. Encouragement of local industry is essential until the development is advanced sufficiently to secure stability of production and ensure a surplus output. Wealth to' he of the best advantage is that which flows in, for it creates a much-needed surplus to be utilised more freely for the resultant progress counting for material advam-emeut. This onn be understood more readily in the ease of the butter transactions re'ferrod to abovo, whereby hundreds of pounds of local money are sent out of the district for ultimate circulation in another part of the Dominion. The crippling effect upon local development can ho well understood, and when it is realised how advancement can bo retarded, the evil of such a practice will be appreciated, and there

must lie a swing of opinion against adverse trading which is an injury to the many, and an advantage only to the very limited few. The necessity for helping ourselves in such circumstances can therefore be well understood.