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Hokitika Guardian, 21 June 1930, Page 4

Thk reference made to the roading of South Westland as a result of Air O'Brien’s visit, to the southern part of the Westland electorate, should be appreciated at this juncture as drawing attention 1.0 a matter of vital district importance. Just now the Government has In lind work for an army of unemployed, and there is nodoubt the roading of territory largely the property of the Crown, would be a Very useful direction which lo operate. .More especially as in the ease of South Westland the utility of tlm work is destined to he of great, nr’'tieal value. It is plea-sing lo find Mr O’Brien completely converted to tho extension of the Great South Road, which if pushed forward a s it should he. would soon reach the Bruce Ray j district. The road is now being eoustrnclcd beyond Weliekn. There are two river crossings to icaulend with in Ihe earlier stages, namely the Fox and Ha' Cook Rivers, and plans for .bridging qlie rivers should .now be. well forward. Once vehicles are across the Cook river, there is a. considerable range of flat country on to the Karangarua, and practically little engineering difficulties in road con.-

sLuetion. A. bridge site ha* been se-

lected at l\a.ran,A„i ,ia. nun a iurilier stage of fiat country ahead, so that once the bridges are ae- ■omplisiied tacts, a very ieugtiiy section of lho Croat South Road will materialise and must be a great factor in assisting local development, such a.s the road bus been further north in linking u.p the various settlement areas. By giving the settlers an assured connection and outlet, progress has been well maintained and the localities have never looked bade, for those on the laud have done well, invariably. Mr O’Brien also has a good word for the .Jackson Bay-Oluiru inland' settlement .scheme. This has been advocated very strongly by the local residents, and it will be remembered a Coast deputation waited on the Government last. year. A Minister of the Crown was to have inspected proposition, but unfortunately :J.iis lias not been done, and further time lias been lost. Mr O’Brien has bad the opportunity of looking further into the matter with the result that, he is more impressed than ever with the possibilities. As the matter stands in abeyance now, it is to be expected therein her for Westland at the first opportunity will revive the question in Parliament where the national importance of the . undertaking should be stressed a.s evidencing the value of developing attractive Crown Lands and placing more people on the land. The Government is prepared to do a great deal with that object in. view, and seeing that South Westland can offer the opportunity for practical results, attention might well be turned in that direction. This is a matter with an important bearing on. the future of the district, and T developments can ’be hastened so much the better for the betterment of a locality which is being held back by its isolation and lack of ready means of communication.