Grey River Argus and Blackball News TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1922. MINISTERIAL VISIT.

Grey River Argus, 30 May 1922, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1922. MINISTERIAL VISIT.

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The West Const, or at least this part of it, has nothing much to thank the present Government for, but small mercies are welcome, and the decision yesterday of the Hon. C. J. Parr to remove his embargo on the Old People’s Home site will be received with general satisfaction. The Minister, when at Hokitika, stated he was unable, for the present at any rate, either to increase the subsidy rate or make any special grant towards the Westland Hospital, but the Grey people have for a long time past been asking no more of the Health Department than to allow an area, already paid for to be devoted to tl.e object for which such payment was made. That a glance at the locality by i he Minister himself should have been all that was necessary to remove the difficulty goes to show that this district has something of a grievance in

| the matter, if it wished to cherish the like, but if the Government will only j make amends now by facilitating the erection of the proposed home, all will be well. With an area of four or five acres, out of the fourteen or so that go to make up the present hospital reserve, a satisfactory home should be readily obtainable for present requirements. If the future renders an enlargmcnt of the hospital necessary, the structure erected for the home could be utilised should the Minister of the day embark on a home for old people in the nature of a farming venture. There is a question, of course, as to whether the home about to be erected—for which about £l2OO, equal with the State subsidy to about £27oo—should take the form of a single large building, or several smaller ones. Doubtless, when the offers made to raise further funds for the home, :rc given effect, well over £5OOO will be in hand. It behoves the community to get busy at once to augment the fund, and to obtain the best advice as to the most suitable type of home. Yesterday’s visit to the present alleged home convinced the Minister of the awful treatment meted out to the pioneers there through compelling them to live in so evil-smelling and repulsive a place, which the best efforts made to improve it. for the occasion could not render any better than an impossible habitation. The suggestion to have several smaller residential buildings in the new home is one that deserves at least to receive consideration. The Minister at Hokitika remarked that he would prefer to dispense as far as possible with small country schools and concentrate the pupils at Hokitika, as a large central school would bp far preferable to smaller ones. At the same time, the Minister demurred at a suggestion to provide cycles for country boys, ami promised to restore in some form the school at Kauieri, so that the centralisation policy is not coining into actual being hereabouts just yet awhile. The Minister in supporting the idea, of establishing a hostel for boy pupils at Hokitika, promised legislation to enable to the local committee to use £l6OO now held by the High School Board, for the purpose mentioned. Therefore, boiled down, the Minister’s new ideas so far as they yet concern the West Coast seem to be that the people must provide what they need themselves. He certainly made it plain that no special system of local educatioanl control would be conceded to W estland, though lie admitted changes in the existing system in the direction of more local control were desirable. It is safe to say the Minister’s new policy is not going to benefit the W’est Coast very much for at least some time to come.