The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is, incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1928.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is, incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1928.

BRIDGES FOR SOI'TH WEST!.AXD. Tub experience during the past week emphasises again the need for “bridge* and more bridges” in South Westland. It is unfortunate that the members ol the. Highways Board found it necessary to defer their visit for a week. H.id they been running to time-table their would have had an excellent opportunity of seeing and hearing about the urgent need for more bridges. During the greater part of the week motor traffic was at .a stand-still owing to tlie recurring floods. Cars were held lip at both ends of the road, while in between another group were delayed. While it is recognised a good deal has been done of late in the matter of bridges, more needs to he done before the Const is as well served as the other side of the Island. Along the East Coast motor bridges now span every crossing from Blenheim to the Bluff, we are told. The West Coast is far ■behind that necessary record, which suggests something should he done to urge special attention to the matter. The fact that the members of the Highways Board are due here next Saturday night to meet those concerned about road matters, and will the following day traverse the main south road (o Waiho Gorge, affords an excellent opportunity for the local bodies and others concerned to ventilate the matter before the powers that he. As far as can he gleaned, there is only one small bridge urgently required to complete the through ecunection. say to Okarito. That eroding is .McCullough creek, with Vine creek nearby as of Icisser importance. These two cross-

ings do not require exj>ensive structures, and if something temporary could lie afforded meantime to supply emergency crossings for light traffic in the event of floods, the position would he met to some degree. Below the Forks on the stretch of road to Waiho Gorge, there remains .McDonald’s and Slates' creeks to bridge, and some minor crossings in need of attention. It i- understood the material for Slatcy Creek is now arriving on the ground, so that the bridge should he available for traffic next season. But there still remains McDonald's creek to bridge, and this might he urged with all the force possible. The construction of a bridge at McDonald's crossing does not present the difficulties of of many other places, and this is cer-

tainly a work which should not he delayed unduly. It remains therefore for those concerned—the local bodies. Automobile Association. Progress and Tourist Leagues—to band together and with a strong deputation urge the earliest possible attention to the works within the resources of the Public Works Department. Mr Fnrkert. who is the Chairman of the Highways Board is also Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department, and a.s he will be here in person, a first .-class op-

port unity presents itself of placing the matter right at the fountain head. Newfoundland, the Ancient Colony, an independent Dominion, within the British Empire, is coming to the front industrially. The award to Newfoundland of some two hundred thousand miles area of land in Labrador that had been claimed by Canada as Canadian territory, has been finalised. This area, while a wilderness, is a potential source of valuable pulp ami paper production. Attention is called to the fact through the ncf|uircnioiil by the International Paper Co. of the large paper mills on the west coast. Those mills, among the finest in existence, were completed two or three years ago by the Armstrong-Whit worth Co. of London, and the Reid interests oT St. John’s, British interest predominating. It was estimated that the cost of the project would not exceed twenty million dollars but the real outlay was more than doubled before the opening. so that tin l plant liegnn operations virtually bankrupt. English financiers attempted a reorganisation through lonimitteos representing banks and other creditors, but the mil look was so mil'llvmirahlc that they advi-cd a sale of the pro|>crLy. This did not prove an easy mailer. It. rcipiired negotiations with the Newfoundland Government. the British Treasury and tho English holders of bonds of lour mil-’ lion pounds sterling, half guaranteed by the British and half bv the Newfoundland Government. Not to go into details those negotiations have been successfully acconifjlished and Newfoundland will soon be a producer of about four hundred and lifty tons daily of news |irinl. The new owners have two parties n| timber cruisers working in Labrador, investigating the pulp wood resources with a view to possible purchase. I’redicl ion is made that Newfoundland at no distant day in the future will lie producing one thousand tons of paper daily, making her a -formulaic rival of the Dominion of Canada. now the larges! source of pulp and paper in the world.