The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1926. WESTLAND’S POTENTIALITIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1926. WESTLAND’S POTENTIALITIES.

The future -of Westland is such, by reason of its potentialities, that it will be always a district to attract and

interest capital. Capital is the one tiling needed to advance the interests of the district money to develop those resources which are apparent, hut which need funds to probe or harness. The coming visit of a newspaper commissioner to write up Westland as a part of New Zealand with a future of promise before it, is of peculiar interest. for it opens the way to a wide publicity which must help to arrest attention regarding the future of the place. Useful propaganda in that dinection must- have an effect, and for that reasonhearty co-operation should bo given to the disinterested effort of 1 the visitor to help us. Mention of the 1 potentialities of Westland at this junc- 1

ture calls to mind the subject matter published in regard in secondary industries applicable to Westland. The school pupils who went to the Exliibtion a few weeks ago were given the opportunity of competing in essay work on the subject mentioned. The paper published yesterday was an illuminating one, and indicated that at least one young mind is alive to the great possibilities of Westland. A second essay is published to-day. and

while not so extensive in its treatment of the subject, yet covers ample ground to show that there need be no weak faith regarding the future of the district. Westland has great resources in its land, its timber, and

in its water power. This is the big three feature which will continue to govern the future of Westland. But the big three mentioned do not exhaust the assets of the district, for there are still great possibilities from the mineral deposits and imperishable fame in the scenic wonders of the place, which for all time will attract visitors 1 1 Westland. The young writer who expatiated yesterday on the possible future of Westland treated the subject admirably. It is a large subject, for the assets of Westland capable of development arc very extensive. The pros|>eets of the district call for the fullest faith in the future, and with reasonable enterprise encouraged, and helped where possible, this land of golden opportunity will well justify its promise. The circumstances being as they are, a progressive effort should be made to attract and expand industry. We see on all sides what has been done with mining and milling, and land settle incut. There remains much territory l still to exploit. Westland is a vast Crown area in point of fact, and the Government should welcome the development where capital offers to venture ver.v readily. The laws of the land regarding settlement, mining and milling no?d liberalising to assist in opening up the hack country. In these times when population is being brought into the country, and at the same time there is the cry of the unemployed, and above all the financial stringency resulting from over importing, there is occasion to seek for more outlets for lalxir, more means of production, more general develop ment of the out of the way places. The tendency is remarkable in New Zealand of the drift to the centres and certainly the drift to the North •Island, should he checked as far as possible, not by. artificial means, but- by a genuine attempt to carry out developments where population is sparse, and yet when there is room and to spare for more settlement and more industrial development. Liberalising the laws, and above all the regulations of the country, so that in new places there will be less restriction and less departmental interference. When men are ready to put* their capital into a development scheme opening new or further avenues for labor, there should not be the opportunity to < heck enterprise and consequent industry. The prospects of the district are such as to encourage all legitimate effort to help ourselves and every opening offering in that direction should be made the most of.