The Guardian (And Evening. Star, With which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1938. FALSE IMPRESSIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1938, Page 4

The Guardian (And Evening. Star, With which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1938. FALSE IMPRESSIONS.

The writer of a special article in a Canterbury paper on West Coast transport matters, in the course of his remarks, refers briefly to the request for the South Westland railway. He makes the remark that “the timber traffic will be a. declining one and will not prove lucrative to the railways.” This statement ignores in the first place, the other resources of' the expanding district which assist to justify the request for the railway, but in regard to the timber traffic the actual position is also ignored—the vast store of timber, and the years it will take to exhaust it. Alluvial mining has been in vogue here for over 70 years, but gold is still being won. So with timber. The ramifications of the railways system to Inangahua and throughout the Grey Valley and the Otira line, has been carrying timber since the opening of the lines, and- the industry is still going strong. In regard to Westlandj the Ross section of the railway carries the greatest output for the South Island, and continues to maintain that position, and more mills are coming into production. It could be said, too, that, the coalfields will decline because of the constant output, but there also, years of valuable production will go on. It is admitted that Westland contains the last important stand of timber in the Dominion, and seeing that little intensive milling has gone on south of Ross (compared with that of the Grey Valley and contiguous sources, of supply) the timber cannot be considered -a declining quantity. Rather the other way, an increasing output for many years to come. If the railway system had no timber to transport, its business would decline by over half a million tons, and if that volume is to be kept up, it is essential to get the fullest return from the forests. In the south, it is agreed by sawmillers in particular that a railway is the most economic form of transport for the heavy traffic. The Department has the plant and -oiling stock, and all it wants are the rails to link up with a system which serves the whole (or will immediately) of the Sfouth Island; This as against a road service calling for more handling, more wear and tear on the roads, more depreciation oi machines, competing

against a railway taking its load direct to its destination. The complete railway system will carry the commodity where required, aud the further required, the higher the freight with the one loading change, and an ordered staff and department available to attend to prompt delivery. The convenience the public, combined with the cheaper and better service guaged by existing railway freight rates, should be pleasing alike to the people and the department, and gratifying to the miller awaiting more orders. The experience in Westland of the life of the forest even though milling is carried on intensively over many years, confirms the conviction as to the years of life the timber trade will have in the south. The experience of the past has shown that forecasts by Government officers as to the duration of the timber trade made a quarter of a century ago, were altogether astray and where they predicted the end of the industry, it is still going strong, and no evidence of early closing up.