The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1923. FRIENDLY HELP.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 April 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 1923. FRIENDLY HELP.

Tiik little excursion into publicity which Mr Julian Grande indulged in at the expense of the West Coast ill goncra! and Greymnuth in particular, brought out again the friendship of Canterbury to the West Coast. The remarks < f Mr Sodden who happened to be in Christchurch have b-en quoted already. They were quite to the point. Our friends of the Canterbury Progress League, were no less alert, and Mr Ulimio, the Organiser, sprang also into the breach, and contributed the following letter to the editor of the press:

- -‘Permit me, as (me who knows cherishes many pleasant memories of the ! something of the West Coast, and who warm hearted hospitality of the people, to make a short rejoinder to Mr Julian Grande. In your issue of yesterday, Mr (• randy is reported as having expressed the opinion that the West Const is the most depressing, neglected, and dirty-lookiug place he had seen in New Zealand. Mr Grande may lie, as your -.report infers, a much-travelled journalist, ljnt if in the course of his travels his eyes can discern nothing but defects, then he must be making very poor use of his opportunities. There is some excuse for Air Grande, of course. He sees the Coast without any knowledge of the past history of the district. The Coast has been practically dead for many years since the gnldminitig boom, and has just recently commenced to revive. It has not yet bud time to‘build itself anew, but those of ns who know it and have come to appreciate its possibilities and the spirit of its people can only lament the fact that a much-advertised travelling journalist should have spoken with so little knowledge, and with so small a sense of perception. He has seen the relies cf a former glory and is saddened by the sight. AYhat- he lias seen is the, bright and prosperous future which lies before this wonderfully rich and fertile territory.” In addition to this championing the “Lyttelton Tillies” devoted some of its editorial spare to a defence of the Coast’s position. The article proceeds:—“Air Grande obviously speaks without any knowledge of AVest Const history. The Coast towns to-day are small and perhaps to alien eyes rather "faded—remnants of a more prosperious period. The AVest Coast lias “seen better times”, and bears still the imprint oi‘ a collapsed gold-mining boom. It is the California of New Zealand, and like the -golden west’ of the United States it "ill some day rebuild its splendours on a more solid basis than the hectic activity of a mining camp. Rich in timber and in gold, and with splendid possibilities ns an agricultural territory, the Const for long years ha had to suffer the tremendous handicap of isolation from the rest <\( New Zealand. Tn a month or two when railway communication with the rest of the Dominion is established we all ex- ; vet a new era to commence for AAosttand, in which the province will hold its own with all its sisters. As it is. however, we consider Mr Grande’s criticism too general and sweeping. The towns on the Coast may ho old. as age gees in this part of the world, but this is the first time we have known them to be described as dirty, and we think they ‘ do not deserve such con. damnation, Hokitika, the oldest prin-

cipnl centre on the West Toast, posse sses a number of buildings that have served their day, it is true, but there are some good streets, some handsome buildings and some roomy and comfortable hotels. Around the town is beautiful scenery. And what is the matter with Greymouth in particular that a visitor should feel so

upset about. There is nothing there to seriously offend the senses of ordinary people, and here again, as all over tlie Coast. Nature Inis been liberal with her adornments. New Zealand is < I course, not iiiinrquainteil with the injustices and inaccuracies of the averagel “globe-trotter,” but from an experienced journalist one might have expected a clearer perspective.’’ All this friendly lielp will no doubt tend to removo the false impressions Mr Grande’s inaccurate conclusions will have eonv.'ved to the average reader.