The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, APRIL 14th, 1923. THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, APRIL 14th, 1923. THE WEEK.

The stir the comments of Mr Julian Grande has made should inspire the Coasters with the desire to remove any possible cause for adveise comment in tla l future. The local body elections are approaching, and in any ease there is tin 1 call for the best men in the community to come forward ami offer their services in the puhlie interests. It is no doubt an easy matter to find fault. It is often the ease that blame is more readily meted out than praise. If anything goes awry or there is apparent neglect, the critic is ready to offer comment. Hut where good work is done, and matters proceed smoothily, the critics usually omit to uffer their praise. The public by this attitude become hard taskmasters, but the average man who offois his services to the public hardly does so merely in search of praise. He-has the desire to serve as faithfully ns he can, and he is taken on trust accord iugly, To win and to

hold the public esteem is jierhajs beyond the resources of the host man who ever entered tile puhlie service. Each hits a part to play, hut play it ever so well, ii is possible to out-tay the welcome, and in the end lade from public favor.

However. service ia local bodies is not so exacting that representations may he made or marred seriously by acts

of commission or omission. Experience shows that, after all, very little satisfies the public, hut it would he well to do that- little very well. The local bodies ale an essential part in the welfare of a community. By their existence democracy pan he well solved, but it lets on the people themselves to do their own service. They may not lean on others. They must wi th for themselves- for the community. The Value of a local body is gauged by tile persona! interest (4 the people in selecting the personnel. There is a duty in the liist place to invite the best men to come forward. A wellsigned rot|tiisition is often helpful in that direction, for the signatures con-

vey an assurance wiiieh sj ceulatire talk can hardly imply as satisfactorily. Then, having secured the nomination of the good men and true, it is worth while not only veting lor them, but also working for them, and ensuring their return by a flattering majoiily. Such a result encourages the right kind of public spirit in the way best calculated to produce the best results.

Nominations are called for the municipal elections to he held this month, ami the County elections ate to follow w ithin a fort night litter. Subsidiary elections relating l > harbor and hospital admioistiiition aie involved at the same time. The occasion stills for special attention this year became the district is on the eve of a new- era which should bring many things to pass. The linking of ike Must, and West Coasts by rail will bring about many transformations in regard to transit, business and trading generally. More people will be on the move. .More produce will he exchanged, blocks and herds will grow, pastmnl products w ii! increase, industri® will expand. 'I he district will develope. Expansion means marked progress, and in town anil country alike them most he preparation to meet the stirring new order ol things. To get the best out of the coming conditions, it will not be unwise to prepare in advance. An American saving is: ‘'When the good ship Prosperity is in sight, row out t ) meet it.” Hokitika and Westland generally wants to set about that pleasant occupation and prepare for the epoch-making time now so close at hand.

It has always been a matter et cprnneh that the town has lacked a set municipal policy. Micawber-like the ( mmcil has keen content for events t>> happen before seeking to anticipate them. Mere than over now it is necessary to drop that indifferent attitude, and to he alert and alive to possibilities. What of tile loan expenditure? What of tile street repairs? What ol the need to provide more revenue by turning the reserves to better advantage? Fnder these three headings there is a good deal to do. il the Coiini i! will assist in helping the town Icrwanl. Heniissiiess has been a marked ( haraeterist ie of the Couneil's attitude on many occasions. At the same time ?l will he admitted on all sides that tin' Council if it has erred at all. has erred on the side ol safety and strict economy in its null-progressive attitude. The point is whether it has not gone too far in that direction, and should not- so order its ways as to permit the pendulum to swing in another direction. The period to review the Council's work, and the Councillor’s capabilities is at hand. The ratepayers whose duty it is have the matter in their own hands. Well wllat aie they going to do about it-

There arc probably greater obligations on the County ratepayers than the Borough burgesses in dealing with this question. The County, which is the largest in the Dominion, has yielded enormous mineral and lores! wealth. The forest wealth has been hut fringed. There are still to he great developments from that source. The mineral wealth has never been probed as it should bo probed. There is room lor a great forward policy in that direction. The land settlement of the County should boom as a result of Ihe coining of the railway and the facilities it will afford for ready transport to a stable market. Roads and bridges will he wanted in all directions, while existing roads need improving to meet the increasing volume and weight of traffic. The County has .scenic attractions which are an asset ns yet hut poorly exploited. There is .something more for the County Council to do than lie purely a road hoard body. It. has obligations to assist in developing the district-, and to point the way in the direction of which State, public or private enterprise might g>. To that end the coining elections afford an opening for '‘new blood” to help point the way, and to a.ssit in carrying on the work of settlement- so well started by the pioneers in the times past.

So we may hope for a cl cue and earnest interest being manifested in the local body elections. This is to he exhibition year, which is all the more reason why the public men of the town and district should ri-e to the occasion and he prepared to make some personal sacrifice in the interests of the general advancement. There never was so much incentive offering as at present. The country has done its .share right well in providing a railway at great cost which will give the district facilities to reach readily anti cheaply, the markets of the world. So much has been done in that respect, that some return should he made. This can Icest be done by making the district more and more productive, and providing the surplus products for export to ensure the volume of trade to justify the expenditure for the railway connection. The duty of citizenship calls for a personal interest in the social welfare of the town and district. There is the natural obligation to make the town equal to the future which i> before it. The people who have resided here for many years confident in the future of the district, should display their confidence to a greater degree now that there is opportunity to

lift the district abend by personal effort. The opportunity i« knocking at the door, let the door be opened wide for prosperity to flow in.

There should be no lack of confidence in the future of the place from within, because from without there are potent signs of readiness not only to help, but for others Co join up and participate in the favors to come. The average visitor realises the prospects of the place are very bright. There is a general air of prosperity, and signs are not wanting in regard to building and "thev activities which indicate that the town and district mi st forge ahead steadily. A helping hand from within will assist greatly. New enterprises are spoken of. Men with capital are here or others talk of coming here, to launch out in industries or undertake ventures the effect of which on local progress promise to be very marked. The present is a peri <1 which invites ready co-operation on the pan of the people to push forward projects which will mean marked advancement of a permanent character. Then' is thus all the more reason why the public bodies should be staffed with representatives who will be propelled to t ike a personal and practical interest in loenl govern men t. Sound local government is the first step towards general progress building up as it does the amenities of the town and rendering it more and more popular with the public and an attractive resort for permanent residence. Who will answer the call and serve.

Aphopos of the new movement for the advancement of the town, the Exhibition in sight will lie a feature of a very prominent character to mark the commencement of the new eia. From all accounts, the general arrangements are moving forward satisfactorily. Even the accommodation trouble, which by many was considered the most difficult proposition to handle, is showing signs of melting away. There is the likelihood of some definite scheme coming to pass whereby Hokitika "ill be supplied with a first-class hotel, and callable of going a very long way to meet the situation. Those moving in the matter, it appears, have collected quite a lot of interesting information bearing on the project, and the proposal has gone so far that a well-known Deminion firm of a roll i teds is to visit the town almost immediately ami advise as to the building proposals. A three storey, nmerete building is spoken 01. capable of accommodating a large number of guests and being -o designed and conducted a- to eater very efficiently for the seasonal guests all the year round and of course apart from the term ot the Exhibition - lor the hotel w ill be required after" ai <ls as much as at next Christmas season.

A n.unviNO enterprise, likewise to be centred in Hokitika is al--o on the tapis. This \ cut ore lias been re I erred to before, and lias had a good deal ol publicity. 1 lie settlers as a body have not taken up the matter as ujotedlv is they might, and the position now is i fiat if the. farmers are not ei posed to make it a co-operative concern for mutual benefit, private enterprise. in the general interests ol the distiiet and the industry, will float a company, to promote the undertaking. Although there are different local companies in the district they are not able to retain all the h cal trade. A go d deal ol n is drifting from them and unless a special ellorl is made more ol the local trade "ill be lost in the near future, for enterprising private concerns in a neighbouring town have re-

signs on the trade and intend to capture it if possible by introducing iis own system of direct collection in the dairying districts. This would he counteracted by the new enterprise contemplated at Hokitika, but which will require the practical support of the tanners wTtliin a. radius of 25 miles at hast. The central dairy factory will help to si lve many difficulties and above all retain within U'c district its own trade and business among its own people. Such a business is well worth establishing.

Tnmti: is no ([Hostion hut that lloki--1 ika- should become :i groat oolitic tor tourist truHie. Tin's is a subject which should b" taken up with zest. The loin fit traffic is capable cl regular expulsion vein by year. With the establishment ot a large motor garage here, a Inundation is laid for the town becoming the radiating centre lot the holiday-making traflie, which must pour this way when the railway from Cnri.stehuich finds its way through Arthurs Pass tunnel. Christchurch is destined to hecoino a great industrial lenlreoim of the greatest in llm Southern Hemisphere. Timm will he thousands of people on the Canterbury Plains ahum, who yearly will come westward for their holiday. Tile golden west provides a complete change of scene and a golden opportunity for the enjoyment of o novel holiday outing. I* ram the east, then, thousands of people will pour this way. Westland must needs open up its tourist tesorts, make them hotter known, more readily nercs'dhle and altogether better teatured. 'I he hot springs should he adapted to ready use by visitors. Walks and climbs should be made a feature for holiday makeis. There is mill'll to do so much lo do and so little dene that there is work for all interested in Westland in taking an active interest in promoting and developing its wonderful resorts for tourists itrnl holiday makers.