The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Junes. SATURDAY , SEPT. 6th, 1921. THE SAWDUST PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Junes. SATURDAY , SEPT. 6th, 1921. THE SAWDUST PROBLEM.

Till; ili.sposal of sawdust from the timber mills is becoming a very pressing ipmstion in this district, l-itcly prosecutions »crc instituted, and the Dench while lining the ollendcls gave a |ei io.l of time in which to abate the nuisance. .Meantime an appeal "as made to abrogate the regulations as lar as this locality was concerned, hut it is understood the appeal lias been in vain, and that the .Minister of Marine has declined to make any exception lor the. district. Decently the Inspector of Fisheries made a visit to Hokitika, and it would appear from the nature of an interview given to

the re| rcsoutal ive of a northern newspaper, that the visit was not unconnected with the sawdust | rohlem. Mr Ayson is credited with looking into the matter of the depositing of sawmill icfuso in the lisha.hle si teams. Mr Ayson visited those mills on the Knnieri l.ake Itoad and the other nulls which are at | resent depositing into the Hokitika Diver or its tributaries. their sawdust, and he noted that the mills not directly polluting the river tire doing what amounts to the

same thing by putting into its tributary streams and creeks the lefuse from their industry. Mr Ayson also examined the lied of the second channel of the Hokitika River, where the whitebaiters have their trenches, and was

very surprised to note the amount of sawdust which is coming down the river, and also the amount strewn along the hanks at the high-water mark. Speaking to the representative of the “Urey River Argus", the Chief Inspector of Fisheries declared himself Aery nint h opposed to sllcli pollution of the river with sawdust. It was a menace to the whole fishing industry thereabouts. Mr Ayson remarked that on his return to Wellington he would do his host to have a, stop put to such pollution. and he pointed out that in the North Island rivers there is no sawdust deposited, or allowed to he. Mr Arson declared it a mistake to have allowed the sawmills till December to make other arrangements for getting rid o( sawdust, and, in his opinion, the placing of such refuse in the streams

should at once have been stopped. The canning factories arc due to open in Hokitika on the loth, just., hut if the streams remain like they now are. red with sawdust, the factories will red use to can the fish, as it is practically ini|ossih!e to separate the mill re!use front the li.sh. It is evident, says the interview, that the pollution would have been stopped a year ago, only that the Forestry Department had a linger in the pie, having stayed proceedings initiated at Wellington. 'Hie

w.liilebniters reckon, according to the newspaper report, that the Department, ought to look strictly after its own business, and not do anything against (lie interests of the Department of Fisheries, which needs all the help if can get. It was pointer! out hv Air

Ayson that to have the mills dispose of sawdust otherwise than in the river would not in any way interfere with

nilling. hut means only the spending

of a few pounds to erect at all the mills e.evators such as some of the mills already are using. It is understood that the view of the Minister of Marine is that saw mi llcrs all over New /'aland are Isiund by exactly the same law and regulation as operates in Westland, and it is stated, will find no difficulty in comp-lying with the re(|uirements. The Most Coast millers generally have not

unformed to the regulations in the

past, hut in the opinion of the Minister this neglect is not going to lie considered any 'reason for further tolerance in the matter. The cost of disposing of sawdust, other than by deI’osit in adjacent streams, is held to be considerable, and in no ease is it likely to he defrayed by a few pounds as suggested by Mr Arson. With the

number of sawmills operating in this district it can lie well understood a large amount of objectionable matter flows into the river, and in the whitebait season it is certainly a menace to the canning industry. The position presents a problem difficult to solve without imposing a hardship on one or other of the industries affected. Tt seems to lie necessary for the millers to find the cheapest way out of the impasse without bringing about too great a difficulty affecting the future of the sawmilling industry.

record of work done, about fills tlio bill—-‘■business done; nil.” Except for an endless flow of talk wliicli lias filled many of Hansard, now but sol-, (loin seen by the public at largo, it would be difficult to say just off-band what actual business lias been accomplished. Apart from passing “supply” to keep tbe financial pot boiling, there is but little to recall. (Ini' of the Wellington papers lias been going into tbe matter, and it has found that Parliament lias added only one law to tbe Statute Book after nine weeks of work which costs the country nearly £2 a minute. In tbe matter of some thirty-

eight days sitting, seventeen were devoted to the address-in-reply, and financial debates, during which tbe members were able to repeat themselves ad lib without adding to tbe sum of our biinin.il happiness. For all tbe good that was done during that waste of time tbe House might as

well have been engaged discussing tbe habits of tbe figurative residents of Mars. The position is such that it is high time serious reform to the procedure of Parliament was introduced.

'here seems to be waste at every stage,

ill the parties contribute to this sitution no doubt, but if tbe government

lad a serious programme of work nvii.ilble for discussion, the Prime Miniser would not find it a dillieult matter

to lead tbe House into discussions and actions of greater importance than the emptv beating of tbe wind in tbe piotrneted nc»nfitivo doGsitos ro<‘Urriii<£ so

ilten. Then the forms of the House end themselves to the introduction of

lelnys which while often serving those aking advantage of the rules, serve be other side none the less. Tbe waste if time seems to lie not unsuitable o the Government which has nothing •erv constructive to bring lorward even

at this juncture. Even on electoral reform .Mr Massey lias changed his mind since attempting to introduce his first .lull. Now he lias a Iresh device but with-holds details. It all seems a very great farce—a costly and empty pro-

cedure. in fact, for the country as a whole. There is a big cleaning up to be done in Parliament, and the present

session emphasises this fact, as much as any which have gone before. As a matter of fact the patience of the people is being tried uiuniiy.

Pitn oflicial explanation regarding tbe extra Midland train on Mondays is brutally fiank. Hcferring to the position with regard to Hokitika, Mr JI. Chapman, Traffic Manager, Christchurch. states that the Department’s intention, ill making a. trial ol the Mon-

day trains, was to give a service hcliv ecu Greymouth and Christchurch, which coup] lie provided with tbe minimum of extra running. To extend tbe service to Hokitika involved a certain amount of extra running. It is plain that Hokitika Ira Hie is to be ignored, which is probably not all unusual experience of late where railway transport is involved. Evidently the railways continue to be run to suit the oHieials, and not the public. The situation is far from satisfactory, hilt is in keeping no doubt with the usual treatment meted out to this portion of tbe section. Mismanagement and lack of management piesent themselves frequently. Could anything lie worse than tic bungling of the overhead bridge in Stafford Street as an example of bow railway winks are condueled? Again, there is the ignoring of the rei|iiest from this end for an express through service. Christchurch to Hokitika, and vice versa on Eaturdav.s. The Department lias the conviction apparently that the railway was built lor the benefit of (I rev liioiit li only. The ollicials forget other im| lOftanl centres on tile line, and their needs for improved tin Hie are all too readily overlooked. The Department forgets that Hokitika i- the natural centre for tourists as the jumping off point to reach the wonderful scenic resorts. Even during the period of the Exhibition. tbe finnn-c of which was underwrifidt by the people locally, the liailivay Department failed to leengnise the rei|iiirenieuls of through traflic to lln kitika. and neglected to supply tin express service. Instead, the hundreds of visitors bad the painfully slow and far too often delayed experience of travel-

ing b,v a “depress" and not an express service from Grcyinxiulh south. Actually it was a cruel infliction on patrons of the trains, seeing that the Exliihiiion hrought the railway service so milch additional revenue. Bui il is ever thus, and although the Minister of Railways was good enough when bento promise important reforms, there is still the feeling that the district is not receiving the consideration il should—a feeling emphasised by the brutally frank expression of the Traffic Manager at Christchurch in regard to Monday Service designed to exclude Hokitika.