HOTIKA NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1042, 2 February 1880, Page 4

HOTIKA NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Hokitika, January 26. The Hokitika Harbor Works question has puzzled many persons here. It seems so utterly ludicrous to suppose that all the difficulty, all the misunderstanding, all the attempts to evade arrangements actually agreed to, and ali the intense desire to conserve the interests of a contractor, had arisen over a paltry L 7000; that no one believes, or can by any possibility credit, that a sum of L7OOO more or leas was the whole matter involved. A Government that coolly proposes the expenditure of L 500,000 in the district Hallway’s Purchase job, is not very likely to think very seriously over L7OO to complete a contract actually in course of progress, on a national and most necessary work. And when we look at the facts, the aspect of the affair becomes more supremely ridiculous. A sum of L 15,000 had been spent on a training wall, confining the river on the north side. The effect of the work so far, was probably and decidedly advantageous. But the contract contemplated works on the opposite side of the river, the object being to confine the stream within certain limits also, on that side; and o tsecure one unshifting and permanent channel. ' In aid of these works Parliament voted, freely and without condition, a sura of LIOjOOO for the then year. But a sum of L 37,000 was required to complete the contract above referred to. It seems utterly incredible, but it is true, that the Government wished to terminate the work at its present stage; to pay off the contractor with the LIOjOOO voted, and to take the timber laying on the Hokitika wharf “ for other work ” —and all because they “ could not see their way ” to ask the House to vote the additional L7OOO above referred to ! In other words, for the sake of L7OOO, the. Government were ready to loose : Value of works actually done, but which, if left uncompleted, would go out to sea ,£15,000 ' Value of timber left to rot on the Hokitika wharf 7,000 Payments due to contractor ... 3,000 Total loss £25,000 It took about 200 long telegrams, and all the most strenuous exertions for weeks of the indefatigable Mr Seddon ; it took the constant activity of Messrs Beid, Masters, (before he left Wellington), Gisborne ; the Mayor of Hokitika, the County Chairman, the Chairman and members of the Harbor Board, and heaven only knows what other influences and interests, to put this matter right with the Government, and to get, not only justice, but economic common sense and prudence, put into operation in considering the subject. The Government idea seemed so insane or so inane, that people began to look round to discover some reason, other than that slated, for the difficulty raised. There were unpleasant rumors afloat. I am about to say that there Is no truth in these rumors. The difficulty that was raised, originated with the Government alone ; and if some of the members of our Harbor Board erred at all, they most certainly erred in over zealousness in seeing that Hokitika interests did not suffer. I believe the contract must now be completed, and captains of vessels, in years to come, must thank Messrs, Seddon, Jack, Bonar, Reid, and Gisborne, for the deep channel of the future. We are expecting the Hon the Minister of Public Works here shortly, and everyone is glad that he is coming. We know that he has formed an unfavorable opinion of this wild West Coast, and we hope to convince him that it is not the great lone land he fancies. We raise more gold here than any other Province does ; we have inexhaustable supplies of the best coal; we have the most extensive forests of the most valuable timber ; we have millions of acres of unprospected or unexplored country—moat of it presumed to be auriferous, and a good deal of it fit for agricultural settlement. We have population without crime ; thriving and settled centres, absolutely without poverty ; and communities, struggling always, yet always contended ! Let me state one or two more facts. If we show Mr Oliver ohr State schools, we show him the best—incomparably the best—State schools in New Zealand; whether with regard to their number ; to their architectural appearance ; there teachers ; their pupils; their results; or their management. Will he find, anywhere, more healthy and more happy children ? Will he notice, in any of these islands, such an absolute freedom from vice, disease, and penury, as he must notice at Greymouth, Hokitika, jr Kumara; at towns and villages, small, or more or less important, on this much abused and greatly neglected West Coast of ours ? I wish Mr Oliver or some (equally for the time powerful magnate—would visit the West Coast in the “ picnic season.” I venture to say thata West Coast pic-nic, on such a scale for instance, as the Church of England or the Kanieri picnic, is one of the most suggestive of sights. At the former there were 1500 people young and old ; all well dressed, and evidently all happy, 1 wish Mr Oliver would go down down south for a while, and notice how the men down there battle with misfortune ; battle with flood and swollen river; battle with difficulties that to any men but British pioneers, would be simply insuperable. I hope Mr Olivier will go up north, where the most prosperous goldfields town, and the largest for its age in any part of these Colonies, is to be seen and admired. I hope he will visit Bfunnerton, to be famous over the world, some day, for its vast coal measures; and Keefton, built with Hokitika and Greymouth coin, and developed so far, with -Hokitika and

Greymouth “ siller.” If he sees all these places and things, it will do good to himself and us, I can promise him that everywhere he will meet as hearty, jolly, and as genial men and gentlemen as are to be found in Dunedin, or even in magnificent Melbourne or Sydney. And from all these fellows—be they Greymen, ever so Grey, or Hallites, ever so Hallish— Mr Oliver will receive a truly West Coast welcome whever he arrives. X.Y.Z.