The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 3rd, 1925. AUGUST THE FOURTH.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 3rd, 1925. AUGUST THE FOURTH.

We seem to mensure time by the period of the Great War nowadays. Who can forget that on August 4th, 1914, Great Britain entered the War with tlie righteous purpose of defending the weak against the strong, and of overthrowing the wrong-doer that a peaceful nation might he saved. Britain fought as she never fought before. The Rt. Hon. Winston S. Churchill has expressed the phase in our history very eloquently and tersely when he commented after the war that Britain was never more noble than when she drew sword, and never stronger than when she sheathed it. That sentence epitomises Great Britain's part admirably. Vet when Britain entered the war, few thought seriously of the tragedy ahead. There was a human interest in the course of events, but confidence that Britain’s entrance into

the arena would steady up the | ingress of ilie v.;ir. and lead to ail early conclusion. Vet when the u.u had progressed for four years and IJritaiu had poured out her strength and her might, and other nations had I m -e»> bled white, victory served as remote a.s ever. The Faster of 1018 was a veritable period of passion and sullci'ing. ft is eleven years ago since the Hritisli sword was drawn, and though in the interval peace came with victory, it is a peace of a. most disturbing character. At the moment Britain is more perplexed with her great problems of pea.e at Home, than she was with the problem of war in Kurope eleven years ago. The war had its disturbing effect in many ways. For Great IJritain, it created an enormous linaiieial debt, which the nation of all nations has endeavoured to shoulder without shirking, But worst of all there lias been the great upsetting of industrialism. To win the war Britain had to recast its whole ‘internal system. It was easier to do that in the war period, than in peace time to return more leisurely to former conditions. Indeed it is impracticable now to go back to the conditions of 1914 in any shape or form. The whole condition of life and living was altered by those intense times of 191-1-1918, and its cents impossible to readjust the wheels of industry to the changes enforced on the nation. The Dominions overseas have had their problems, too, but they are less acute, though proportionately are no Less serious, let have we not. missed the full lesson of the war? In the days of stress and national danger there was the rallying to the flag and the common danger to avoid disaster. These are times ol stress and danger and disaster is stalking tho land. Will not the people unite as they did eleven years ago for the common purpose of national safety ?

“Tombstone’’ in the ‘‘Daily Mail”, wrote the following lines a year ago on the lentil anniversary of the war, and they seem more applicable than ever to the nation to-dav:

Knit in a moment to one indivisible whole

Sons of our Empire (looked in to the light from alar. All petty conflict, was hushed and our corporate soul Burned to pure gold at the last in the furnace of war. Black were the days when the foe pressed us hard in the tight, Bitter the price that we paid ere the eon Diet was done; Vet as we battled unceasing for God and the right. Stricken and bleeding and weary, at least we were

Noble the lesson we learned in the hardest of schools- -

Common endeavour and service of each one for all, Where is the harvest to-dav!' Are we cowards or fools, We who grasp shadows, unheeding the substance let fall? Smart politicians who jockey each other for place. Bidding for votes while their wrangling oppresses the eat ; Labour and Capital locked in a deadly embrace— This is our showing for all that had cost us so dear. What of the men who went forth and returned not again? A thousand of thousands, a glorious army they lie At rest from the strife, to whose vision the lesson was plain. Who counted the cost of the learning and feared not to die. Is there nothing that speaks to our hearts in the blots! that was shed. The lives that were given ungrudging that we might be freed • If we hear not the voice of the victors ’tis we who are dead And only the dead in their glory are living indeed!

While we are prone to complain of cjuiet times, and consider there is a backward swing of the pendulum only to be found, locally, distant fields are not always as green as they appear to be. This thought is prompted by reading the report of a sitting of the Valuation Court at Hamilton, which is supposed to be one of the hubs of the Dominion, and whither many folk are ready to gravitate. From the tale told in tile court "about ten days ago. there is not a very roseate hue tinging the horizon surrounding the district of Hamilton. Mr D. Seymour.

will) appeal-oil fur a number of objcitor.s on behalf of the Hamilton Chamber ol Commeree, outlined the position of the majority of objectors in Hamilton, lie stressed the great part played by the Government valuations in the life of the community, and stated that a very serious view was to be taken of tl. present situation. Hamilton was essentially a town dependent on butterfat production and prices for its prosperity. The last valuation had been made at the peak of the boom in 1920, when butter fat realised 2s !)d per lb. It had since dropped and was now realising only Is 7d per lb. while the cost of production had shown a considerable increase. In spite ol this it was proposed to tax the public on a valuation even higher than that made at the great boom time, and tbo fact bad caused general dismay. As an illustration counsel mentioned that the blockhounded by Victoria, Collingwood, Anglesea and Hood Streets, comprising about I'd acres, was in 1020 valued at £182,1)00, but was now increased to £212.000, although it was not a part of the town that had made any remarkable progress. lie further stated that at the present time there were id shops and 00 offices vacant in Hamilton. a situation not known in tbo lucmurv of the oldest inhabitant. ( ounsel disclaimed any desire to promote a panic, but the situation was very grave, and be suggested that the valuation was not a. true estimate ot the values of the town at the present time.

The result was an increase in building in a vain attempt to get tenants and obtain some sort <>f revenue. There were shops and offices vm-anl even in the main street, a most unusual situation. This is something <>f a revelation to those who accepted all they heard about the great pms|)enly in the North Island as collect. It would appear that the conditions here are far more satisfactory than in the North where high values have been attained, and corresponding high taxation results.