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Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1924, Page 2

In rcsimn.sc to deputations the (ioveru. ' mont has expressed its intentions of providing money on the estimates both lor the Bailer Gorge railway towards Inangahiia. and the Nclson-Murchison - railway. In these circumstances theie i.s not much hope of extending the Westland railway southward. Making a virtue of necessity we may congra- , tuiate the north on its good fortune i in winning Government favor regard--1 ing extension of lailways. The linking up of tile West port-Beef ton lines should lie a good thing for the Const as a whole, and that locality will lie another feeder to the .Midland lino joining up with (lie South Island railway system. As to Nelson extension, it still lias a long way to go before it. reaches its first objective at .Murchison. while the process of completion to the IJuller Valley will |>e very longdrawn out. The tapping of i lie Munhison district by rail should lead to useful development in that territory. While South Westland must on and wait as patiently as it tan for an extension of the lto-s railway. the people need not remain altogether passive regarding the needs for improved means of transit. It will be quite proper, and certainly timely, to agitate for improved road connection. What i.s required lor South Westland is a road which "ill carry the increasing traffic of the district, including the spanning of the rivers and turbulent creeks with bridges. Several of the larger crossings are now bridged, but a liumlier of minor streams often cause trouble and delay, and those should have attention. The Government has liegtin to recognise the permanent nature of the future of the south. Inputting in concrete bridges, and these can, with advantage, to the traffic. l»e increased in mimfier. It is understood that the Minister of Public Works regards the proper roading of South Westland as a work of necessity, and is disposed to see that the arterial highway is in proper order. Tn the absence of a railway through the district. the agitation for an improved road will l>e quite in order, and as the Minister is so favorably predisposed, the request could not lie made at ' a more opportune time. Roads and , better roads are what South Westland i

JWAitls just now, and the demand for there should he made insistently.

There is some degree of satisfaction in the fact that tae Progress league is taking up the ease of the 'Wetland County Council in regard to lost royalties. Tlie case a.s put forward, emphasised that the loss to the local body 101 l upon the people as a whole, and particularly the ratepayers of the district. ft was pointed out that the loss meant more to the local body than tlie loss of the Crown Lands rates in tlie years gone bv. In the present instance not only is there the loss of something like £3,C00 a year in income—about dll per cent ol the rates—hut the timber traffic remains, and the roads have to he maintained out of other revenue, the hulk of which u provided hv the ratepayers. When the peoplu as a whole come to view the position in this true light, and realise how it will affect their pockets, the sympathy w ith the local body will he more identified. The plain tact is that the public roads will he used for tlie timber traffic, and there will he no direct revenue to recoup the expenditure incurred in mainten-

ance. The revenue of the State Forest Service .has now reached large figures, hast year's financial returns are not 1 üblic yet, hut the income for j!)23 period was £102,331. This sum does not suffice to meet tlie requirements of the Forest Service, hut not any of the amount was spent on roads or loading. The policy of the country is thetefore very one-sided, not to sav one-eyed, 'flic Government can see only the State Forest Service in the matter, and ignores the rights and privileges <>f local Government. On the success of local Government depends the comfort and satisfaction of the peo] le at large, hut without assured revenue I'hiiii those sources within the district which should, legitimately, lie tapped, local bodies will fail in their self-imposed task. When .Mr .Massey was in Opposition lie was a strong advmatc foe assured finance to local bodies, and on this very suhfecl of timber royalties, advocated that local bodies should receive the whole and not the “halves” of the revenue. 11 is opinions in that respect are safely embalmed in Hansard alien di.siii-sing the principle of limber loyalties when first brought into force in 1000. The specific object of the legislation passed then was to aid local bodies with the revenue from timber royalties. II is a reflection on Mr .Massey’s sincerity In find now that, the Government, of which lie is the head, lias taken the whole of tile revenue from the local bodies. II the Progress l/aigue probes the matter fully it should go the length of reminding the Prime Minister of his inconsistency in regard to the royalties question.