The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY. JUNE 15, 1929.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY. JUNE 15, 1929.

A SO UI1CI': OF INCOME. Thk Westland County Council has been discussing again its source of income in regard to timber royalties. Ili.s matter Inis dragged on for many years now without reaching finality. As a result of being brought up by .or .Murdoch in the iir.st instance, the Council no doubt (as other C'otinils on the Coast which proved to be j Ice ted in line manner) has been the .uiiior by several thousands ol pounds, once the illegal loss ol revenue was irst discovered and the misterpreta.ion of the law recognised at least m art by the former Cnvernnient, the Mate Forest Service has come into *>. isience. and the oisition has been further i (implicated ir. more ways than one. It is still contended that the Council is not receiving its lull liraportion of payment, while there lias never been anv satisfaction that lor

the earlier payments on account (in regard to which the contention was first raised, and in respect to which some attempt at least at a settlement was made) an adei|uate settlemonl has vet boon made, nor will the Department present a full slatmiient ul the payments to assure the loeal body that all which was due tmv been paid, fu

the interests of Iho ratepayers tins I oiii.cd has c onl limed to keep (lie mailer yi'ii. and ciu> subject is being discussed fin flier wi'h I lie newly appoiutcd lion ■» <miiiiissmi! *r of State I'.jreds. 'i be matter irnppcd up at. this

ivre’i’s mei ~ng of the ( minty Council, and as rbe whole ipiesiion .is of elose interest lo t'oimtv ratejiayers, wo reprint. to-day the latest rev ievv of tiie matlcr in the letter rermiily despatched to the ,'iiinister of t bo Crown. It- is claimed that holli on e(|tiitable. and legal gr muds the to,.m il is entitled to have i;:. case rev.cue.l. whi.e in any inse owing to Ibe I..clung u!• of tin 1 horritory wii.n Stale Forest reservations whicli block settlement, tiie local body is cuiillecl to a more liberal proper, ion of jiayments than “lif.lis” from accruing royalties. ’I he vast -L.ircs of limber m West land mean that for long years to come great areas ol count r v will be locked up lor tiie be neat o! the I).minimi as a whole, and to that extent the tusLrivt must sull'er. Afc-'lland is peiia iseil in other dirot-

ions by roser afi n f r the beiiakt. ol the rnhuiry as a whole. Scenic, reserve-'.. for instance, are dot led over the district for the benefit of the public at large, and sue it areas are outside utility purposes. A very great area of country is thus lying dormant, ami cannot bo used for progressive settlement until' tiie timber is milled under munitions which bring but a I I'aclional income to the local body. Westland is exceptional in this matter, for in other localities bush country has been cleared and settled‘without, let or liindrance. Of course there lias been the waste of tim.be in so doing, but Urn penalty for all this does not, fall on the localities, but really on Westland, which has to be the reservoir now for the rest of New Zealand, and the point, that there slrudd he some fpiid pro quo for this lmmporing rest relion, can be we!) understood. X i d*>ubl it will be said that the State forest Service by its policy luis brnngbt about a required degree of '■■onPervat ion or standing timber, but wlii'e that is in itself creditable. I lie achievement should not lie at the cost ol a single 10-a'ilv for the hone lit of the whole. The equitable claim the district possesses in this matter i< obvious. We are not. referring to the legal usurer affecting the prop-orl ioh of royalties unpaT That is rather a mailer for review in the light ol tin* statute, but. it is none the less important, because it was in respect to the interpretation of llii* law thni Air Murdoch secured (lie first material gain, and the Council's h*gal a.dv ,: **rx have'never been satisfied that full justice was done in the matter. Altogether, therefore there is wh'hr*. in I lie' Connell pressing the mailer further in t!ir> jr-pornl ipff.i-f.i-i« of (be rateoavers w'’e leM-r. the right for the fullest eonsideration.