The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1937. THE HIGHWAYS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1937, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1937. THE HIGHWAYS.

This West Coast district has no ground tor complaint in respect- to highways expenditure. The figures published in respect to the recent meeting of the Highways Council for the district at Greymouth, disclosed that £230,000 was expended over the Coast last year, while for the present year the estimates total £330,000 apart from another £120,000 for the elimination ot level railway crossings. The district now ranges with the highest district expenditure in the Dominion. I hat position seems to suggest that the Coast is in need of much improved reading, and no doubt that view is agreed to generally. At the same time, it may be felt that so large an expenditure for arterial State highways, leaves less for the district and backblock roads. The funds for these works come in the main from petiol taxation, registrations and license lees for . motor vehicles, proceeds of taxes on tyres and tubes, and the transfer of grants from the Consolidated Bund. The sources of revenue are thus contributed chiefly by the users of motor vehicles on all roads, whether highways or district, and for that reason then the latter class should have some substantial proportion,,as the mileage is greater than for highways, lit will he agreed nevertheless, that the arterial State roads require to be oi a standard superior to the district roads, while the practice has now grown up of building as far as possible in permanent material. Bridges are now being erected in concrete, and all surfaces are being sealed. Tins will ensure a much higher standard than is possible in district roads, and as there is a considerable mileage of highways, ft will take some years to bring the district to the degree of permanency- desired. However, general or district traffic, uses the feeder roads Very considerably, and that traffic is entitled to consideration from the funds available. The amount of revenue is a rising sum, and as the contributors are the motor owners, their organisations, along with the local bodies, might well plead for a reasonable share of the money available, to improve the utility roads,whien carry the general traffic to the main highway. The standard that has been set will give the Dominion a very fine asset and will be a convenience to the travelling public. The system is one that has lifted New Zealand roads far ahead of the condition of former years. The volume of the expenditure nowadays shows how eager the Department is to carry out a progressive poliev for road betterment. J here will be little criticism on that, seme while funds are available, the only suggestion w ( liieh might be offered is that as great consideration as possible be given to spread the outlay over service or auxiliary roads of community value which for the present are not treated as highways. In other words extend the highway system to the fullest limits in an equitable distribution of the accumulated revenue

Moke than once in recent times events have given serious warning of the real and grave danger to which the peace of Europe may be exposed by the provocation of the susceptibilities ot other countries writes Lord Hurdin-e ■ } of Penshurst, the ex-diplomatist, in a letter to the Times. The British public, in demanding a wider control than heretofore over foreign affairs, must realise that such control entails responsibilities commensurate with the power they wish to exercise, if Britain is to play a decisive role in Europe we must be sure that the methods we employ are such as to encourage the concord of peace that we all so ardently/ desire, and that they will not estrange toieign Lowers who may stretell out the hand of frieiuT'iiip towards us. Such methods cannot be those of acute controversy self-right-eons homily, or coercion in any form. On the contrary, they should, in my opinion, combine the defence of British interests with persuasion, concilia* tion, and agreement, without provocation or offensive criticism. These and none others are the foundations upon which diploihacy at its best should be built. Until comparatively recent times diplomacy was carried on within restricted limits by statesmen and prulesMomii diplomatists, but since thclute war it has developed into the practice of an infinitely wider intercourse between national communities acting and reacting upon one another. The result has been that the words ot politicians and publicists, who are neither responsible statesmen nor professional diplomatists exercise an infinitely greater and more direct influence on the general conduct of international relations. However righteous the causes we defend, we shall never, by hitting out blindly at those who differ from us, persuade them to help us in bringing peace and order to the Europe of to-day. A national diplomacy should be practised toward all countries, both great and small, with’a special be_ring on our relations to the great dictatorships. What seems to be needed is a policy of appeasement in our relations both with Italy and with Germany. The avoidance v of opposing ‘‘ideological” blocs in Europe is, we are told, one of Urn fundamental bases of our foreign policy. Let us remember, then, .that the task to which we have set ourselves is no longer to make the wor c sale for democracy, but to make tn«» coexistence of democracies and dictatorsliips safe for the world.