The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1928. HOME BUILDING.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 1928. HOME BUILDING.

1 In an interesting speech delivered on | a recent occasion by Mr Enoch Hill, I Chairman of the British National As- | sociation of Building Societies, some ; points of social and political import--1 a nee worth noting were strongly em--1 pliasised. Mr Hill’s deliverance was | largely a review of the history and | present prosperous condition of the | building society movement in Great j Britain, but in his conclusion he pointed a moral:—“The statesmen of today in all political parties,’’ he said, “realise that a nation of home-owners is the staunchest bulwark against the issemination of wild and irresponsible theories of political action as a remedy for every form of social disability.” The speaker’s generalisation, “all political parties,’’ says an exchange, rather | overlooks in the literal sense the La-bour-Socialist's extreme ideals of State ownership, but one may infer that he j was thinking less of Labour-Socialism : as a political party than as the sponsor on occasions of the “wild and irresponsible theories of political action” to which he refers. , The rock upon | which the Labour-Socialist Party in this country split in its endeavours to affirm its notorious “usehold” land policy was the inherent passion of British | people to own their homes. Any land policy which threatens the traditional right of .ne Briton to have and to hold that home which is his castle is bound to come to grief. The LabourSocialist’s dilemma in this connection is to find a way out of the hopeless entanglement into which his nationalisation ideals have led him. Thus far he has been woefully unsuccessful. Mr Hill had some fine things to say on the subject of ownership, and they are well worth quoting : “Ownership, he said, “will not of itself make a house a home, but it leads to a- mode of living J and a view of life conducive to success. It is, in time, translated into character. To the head of the house it gives a true pride and real stability; inspiring thrift and stimulating ambition, and all those aims and ideals which make worthy citizenship; to the wife and mother, it brings abiding content and peace of mind; for the children it means healthy and happy surroundings, and upon them will be lavished the parental love and care, which, in a large measure, flow from the beneficent influences of hopeful contentment and belief that the best is yet to be.” To the heads of such a home as Mr Hill so admirably depicts, the flowery panaceas invented by Labour Socialist' for the attainment of a Utopian millennium are without attraction. The home so created has been built upon the foundations of thrift, hard work, and independent habits, and the fruits of these efforts are not lightly valued. In this country the building society movement lias had a very large measure of public support. The State itself, recognising the importance of assisting the home-maker to liecome an established unit in society, with a stake in the country, has proceeded very much upon the same principle, though along different lines, with its Advances to Settlers and Advances to Workers schemes. Each system, however, recognises that thrift is subject to the variations of human nature. Some people are thrifty by nature, others by percept. Others, again, find it possible to save money, or more correctly, to possess something evntually only by voluntarily submitting to some form of compulsory saving, such as payments by instalments, default of which implies a penalty worthy of serious consideration on the part of individuals inclined to relax. Upon whatever system the individual elects to- proceed, the experience is bound to impress upon him by its practical results the value of thrift and self-help, and, as Mr Hill very truly remarks "it is upon the thrift and selfhelp of the individual that the political stability of a nation js built,’*

An industry likely to come to file fore in this district is a healthy revival in flax-milling. As in other industries, scientific research is playing a part and gradually important advances arc being made in the treatment of the fibre. This ranges through the whole process, which promises to change from the usually accepted service to a much quicker method, saving time and producing much better quality. The grade is improved materially. This new pieces lias caused a stir in the North Island where land at high prices is being acquired for flax-growing. Sixty and seventy pounds an acre are quoted as the cost of some of the land taken up by large undertakings for flax-grow-ing. The price paid suggests that there must be a good margin of profit on the sale of the finished article to justify a venture involving land of such high cost. Native flax grows well along this Coast, and there are many areas in Westland where flax grows in prolific quantities. In those localities, land can be acquired or leased at a fraction of the cost of the North Island areas apparently in favour, which suggests that Westland propositions should come into notoriety. The Government contemplates the experimental growth of flax at Inter-Wanganui, and an inspection was made of the locality last week by officers with a view to commencing the work. There is no doubt La. Fontaine areas will produce good flax, and in the locality lately drained, there should lie excellent results. There are many similar areas up and down the district, and once the industry is re-orga'nised in one locality, it may be expected to expand quickly when the advantages of the new process are realised. From all accounts the prospects of a very practical movement in flax production in Westland are very imminent. Two or three parties at least are moving in the matter, and the ultimate result is likely to be the introduction of considerable outside capital to foster the industries. Assuming that there is the nihrket, it should be possible in a tract of country such as Westland, to produce great quantities of flax 'which means that the industry is capable of great production. The climate here should assist in providing a good tough fibre equal to the requirements of the new process of treatment, and this fact gives hope that the industry is likely to bo established bore on lines which are likely to give the district something of a fillip by providing fresh avenues for general employment up and down the district.