The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March 20, 1947. MR SEMPLE’S WEST COAST MISSION

Grey River Argus, 20 March 1947, Page 4

The Grey River Argus THURSDAY, March 20, 1947. MR SEMPLE’S WEST COAST MISSION

rpiTE general public doubtless will agree that, though not among the first to be drafted, the regional plan of works for the West Coast, which the Hon.’ R. Semple yesterday announced, is one for which it has been well worth waiting. It endtraces seven categories of works, extending from end to end of the settled area of this side of the island, and even beyond it into the hinterland of Otago. The Minister's review of our settlement history pointed to the objectives of the Government’s policy, which are the most rapid possible deevlopment of the W 7 est Coast, with an eye, not merely to its own growth in wealth and population, but to making available for the people of the whole country and for others oversea the valuable commodities here obtainable, especially coal, timber and pastoral produce. The scheme also assures the maximum development of our scenic and tourist resources, by rendering them fully accessible. Communications are a prime requisite, sparsity of settlement and extent of terrain having been responsible for a greater lag in that respect on the Coast than in almost any other portion of the Dominion. This Government has indeed provded in a decade more up-to-date reading hereabouts than any preceding administration had done for much more than a generation, but the Government meantime has devised a comprenensive policy to integrate all developmental works, so that- New Zealand may maintain a great increase in population by the expansion of settlement'and industry. If there had been such foresight in the past, the present drought exigency in the North Island would never have been so acute, for the people would have been more evenly distributed. and the demand for power would not have been concentrated so much as it is to-day. The Minister of Works has, with other Ministers, been criticised for coming here to announce, the plan of works in fulfilment of his promise, because his visit has coincided with the drought., the inference being that Mr Semple could by his mere presence in the North Island negative the effect of the drought. Sober minded people, however, will applaud the Government for keeping a cool head, and for refusing to be stampeded by newspapers and other irresponsibles info drastic action against particular sections of Ihc community in order to comply with the behests of other sections. As it is. the local power authorities of the North Island are themselves in absolute disagreement as to what steps are advisable, some wanting domestic users to be sacrificed entirely, and others doubting the fairness or utility of such a thing. The general public, will doubtless prefer to await the considered judgment of the Government, while agreeing with the Minister of Works that the call is for patience until a rainfall cases the situation. Had the Government six months ago made cuts in supply such as critics say should have been made to an extent that would have left the water supply now adequate for a reduced supply, there is absolutely no authoritative guarantee that the water would have failed to evaporate. It, is not actual reductions, but merely possible ones, upon which the Gov-

ornninut’K critics are basing compaints. They want it both ways—objecting at once that there are not. cuts that are more drastic, and yet that there should not have been the need for such. The best assurance against a recurrence of hydro stringency in future is undoubtedly the planning policy of which the. West Coast regional scheme now announced is a good example. It includes a railway extension, and a loading scheme destined to open up much new territory and make accessible means of producing not only food, fuel, and building material, but in time power as well, for the direction of the development is that in which there are innumerable hydro possibilities. There nevertheless is one fact to be noted. Neither Mr Semple nor the Nationalist press can in the North Island create resources for hydro exploitation comparable at all with those which nature has provided in the South Island. Here, the regional planning therefore is possibly the more urgent, because there are the undeveloped rsourees awaiting utilisation. Had the Minister now chosen to ignore this task, and instead had done the bidding of self-constituted hydro dictators in the. other island, he would have neglected his job, and at the same time found probably that they did not know their job, but were in as much disagreement about what should be done as they already show themselves to.be. At anyrate, the Cobb scheme is one more guarantee that the West Coast will remain well supplied with electricity, and. thereby be enabled to expand its coal, timber, gold and other industries. The whole West Coast plan may be taken as an augury of the day when industry will be far more widely distributed, and less dependent on a couple of lakes in the. North Island.