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Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1928, Page 2

It is interesting in turning hack to the lib's of nine or ten years ago to see the attitude of the local press on the restriction of the limber export. ’I he press of Greymouth and Hokitika did not spare their criticism. The ‘‘Grey River Argus” referred to the menace to local industry, and said there was strong reason for opposition to the policy. The plain meaning, it said. iff the new forestry policy is that the prot itemat ieiil fiiluTc timber needs ol coming generations are held to justify the extinction in a great part of a valuable established industry that i< second in import a lie© in the amount of labour employed and capital invested to one other ahnie on the West Coast, and' is, in .some other respects, perhaps the most important of all ’from a local sta ii< I |xi iu t. And the paper proceeds to stress, inter alia, the labour aspect and the great loss the community will suffer by the restriction on export. In a later article the same paper said that 9b per cent, of the millers in the Grey district were depending on the export trade and pointed out how the interests of employer and worker were in serious danger. Incidentally the Argus added: “The Minister (Sir Francis Bell) appeal's to he, wedded to a fad which he is prepared to carry out with all the recklessness if the true fantastic, regardless i f the injury which lie may cause.'' The “Grey Star” reviewed the limber industry and gave particulars of how the overseas trade was developed by the millers’ enterprise without Government aid and the manner in which production and export were maintained over tlie war period .lor the, material benefit of the country. But there was no consideration fur those will had built up the industry anil maintained it when llio Bell policy was promulgated. In our columns we remarked that Sir Francis “was prepared to sacrifice the industry for the benefit, of his pet theories, while the iortunes cl’ the enterprising miller and the future of trade and all that was bound up with it. could go hang.’’ Ail'd the paper added: “If tho Aupstralian trade is lost now by the prohibition proposed, it is not likely to lie recovered, for Australia will seek for and obtain supplies elsewhere.” But all that was said by the press and public alike was of no avail. The Ministerial dictum stood and the wreck of the fortunes of the timber industry became inevitable. This district has stiffen! greatly. It would he difficult to measure the loss but within the period of ten years the cash value of the turn over would run into millions. And now without apology or a word ef regret for this great wrong done, tho policy is reversed. So much foi Government interference and administration hv regulation.