The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1933. SCOPE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1933. SCOPE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Tub news of various enterprises takshape in South W ostland, show that there i s plenty of scope lor development in that hitherto rather neglected territory. For long years, except for spasmodic efforts, the district has had to work out its own destiny, and year m and year out, the settlers struggled on with their unpromising task.. Then when road •access began to Improve, and later motor traction began to annihilate distance, there became a prospect for South Westland to come into its own. Since the arterial road has been pushed south for a hundred miles or so, a great transformation has come to pass in the settlements served by good access. The homesteads generally have been improved; the holdings expanded; docks and herds increased; and generally production has resulted in a greatly increased volume. . This lias brought—particularly in the times of better pricse—a considerable measure of prosperity, and in the districts referred to, the people have prospered as' they well deserved to do after their years- of struggle. But the arterial reading of South Westland does not penetrate half-way. Below the terminus of the present greatly improved highway, there remains more than another hundred miles to construct, and some territory no less inviting than that turned to profit already. With the example of what lias been done by the first hundred miles of good reading, there is encouragement enough to continue the task, and prosecute the work so that in the end there will bo a direct link by a good road into Otago, where already the connecting road is making its way up the Makarora to the Haast Pass —the easiest negotiable route over the Southern Alps. Then why delay? If the answer be finance, as it probably will, then stop the waste of money on unemployment in useless work about towns and cities, - and use t ; he labour on permanently profitable work in roading a country capable of great and greater reproduction. When next gangs of men are to be seen about, the streets chipping. weeds, cast .a thought on what might he done with tlie tame labour in opening up South Westland, if the workmen were only transplanted to that promising country—a great area of Crown lands, the country’s own asset. It can be well understood that in this useless work going on in towns and cities particularly, under tlie socalled “dole” system, a large percentage of the men have a tendency to lose their manhood. This seems to he particularly so with young men who under existing conditions are forced to register as unemployed, and begin life as a “dole” worker! It seems to be sonietliinp’ of a real tragedy for such, and L l f , _ that could be avoided by an organised system to use the labour on profitable work—profitable to the country and the workmen who would bo better placed, and in tlie country have an miportunity to make an opening for themselves. With all the labour there ; s in New Zealand being spoiled by an aimless relief system which is taking the heart out cf the workmen, it would be to see a. large public work such as the complete roading of South We-.tlrnd undertaken. The enterprise is fully warranted by possible results so far as development will accrue, and it is warranted for the sake of the 'die workmen who would be given the chance to do work which will ,stand and which will afford an opportunity for the me" tlrmselves to find a way to personal betterment.