CASUAL COMMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1938, Page 6

CASUAL COMMENT

AND SOME OBSERVATIONS. (By Observer). Czechoslovakia, which threw out defiance to Germany last week, is a.re-: 1 public. It rose after the Great War,' 1 and comprises areas all formerly be- 1 longing to Austria-Hungary, 1 rague is the capital city, and the country lias, I a population-of upwards of fifteen md- < lions. Hungary, where they are busy 1 re-arming, is also a state, of Europe formed out of the Austrian-Huiigarian Empire. It is under a. Regency. Budapest is the capital, and the population of the country is upwards ol nine millions. There i? service in the Army of .Czechoslovakia, service being for two years. The army numbers about 170,000. The German frontier is being fortified against mechanised forces. Hungary has a force of only 35,000, which under the peace conditions must be raised voluntarily, The Hungarians established the highest reputation in the war period. The Czechs are a resolute race under democratic rule. There appears to be omnious silence since the Premier issued his warning to those shqwing signs of aggression. Times marches on, and carries in its train 'many expressions of optimism about the future of South Westland when the new road is through. According to the summing up of independent visitors who have been over the country, the southern highway is the road which will make New Zealand famous in the years to .come. Visitors are impressed with the expanse and variety of the scenery revealed, and. all seem, to find something new and often unique in their sight-seeing. As the work progresses into what has been for so long, noman’s land, because of its isolation, the wealth of scenic attractions increase, and fresh scenes of engrossing interest are to be seen. Ihe ne\y c nation route beyond the Blue River, which has been explored but not surveyed, will take the traveller into entirely new scenes of nature’s handiwork, and this section will prove one of great interest. And there will be the Valley of the Haast with its walled-m "iiijlls of waterfalls? and varied hush scenes. Two Greymouth sportsmen •. , i*ho : visited the’ South, and spent a few uays ajb garinga trying out the fishing) Are!- enthusiastic abouf the t districtI am nioVe that ever convinced that South, Westland wonclerßil. possi-;. > biUties \ for, ..the!' sportsman,. find.. djie tourist, ’ There is .nothing. in. Ai|ie.i’ic.a, on the .• :pontjnenf,, or, i?} : England, W ■ compare; with. the beanty of the, forest • .ancL mountain, raw, but truly, heaufiful.” Such is the opinion of Mr F. F. Boustridge. He added: ' "Once communication is made easier,,, certainly when the Haast road i s through, the South Westland route to Otago will become known as the most beautiful drive in the world.” , As regards' fishing' the sportsman lander. • 1 §'trout' ■ ri 5 four days, averaging six ’ pounds in weight. The heaviest weighed lOf lbs, and many larger trout were dieen The'fisli'were in excellent cnouition, and splendid fighters. Deer “were found to abound in the - bush,~aiid considerable bird life,- including duck, ’ pigeons, and a few kakas. The sports-) men generally were greatly' Impressed ; with what the’y saw of (the - south, predicting a great future • for the 'locality. i It is satisfactory to learn that the • Minister of Public Works will pay the district an early visit, in the place of the former trip, unavoidably postponed owing, to the unfortunate disaster in the North Island. Mr Semple Is very energetic in the discharge pf his official duties, and it is very.proper that he should be familiar personally with the many works going on all over the Dominion. This responsibility parries him-to all parts of New Zealand, for a very extensive programme of public works is in hand. It is pleasing to see the tour is to include •Jackson Bay. one of the remote parts of .the district, where the Government is commencing a spirited enterprise, destined to open up that region to traffic and commerce. , New Zealand is r not so large that it can afford to have i many neglected places, and seeing that the Far South is endowed with a wealth of natural features and a large extent of forest land, with room for more settlement, it is well the Minister shold make a close inspection so that its development might be hastened, and tile expedituic turned to remunerative advantage the quicker

The aeroplane practice in the Spanish war is not as effective as in China. The Japanese make better aim, and register much greater destruction. In the Spanish conflict, there is a high record of misses. Ships appear to be hard objects to bit, and it appears more by good fortune than precision that an occasional ship is hit. During the week a warship was bagged, but it was rather a poor compliment to the bombers, that British ships rushed to the rescue of the doomed crew, and escaped injury, though a couple of British sailorrs met their, death. A very great deal of good (or is it bad) ammunition is being biased away for little more than noisy repulte. Much of it is home-made no doubt, and all other of foreign nianufacture. No doubt with better ammunition better practice could be made. That plight be the case with the Japanese—they halve quality-ex-plpsiyes. C.ertainly their bombing leads’to’great loss of life and property in the aggregate. The Prime Minister, is developing the arts of t]he hard driver in parliamentary work. He refused the opportunity—-

asked for by the Leader of the Opposition — to discuss tho recent amendments to the tariff, and now is hurrying the JrJcmse 011 ,to a conclusion qf its business next Wednesday. Working to a time-table, and using to-day and Monday for special sittings, it is hoped to dispose of the Or.der Paper mapped out for the session. The House .will resume for its final session about June. Meantime a special committee has been set up with strong Government representation to mould .the health and superannuation hill iut° shape for .the House to accept about July next. This is the big item of the programme ahead. Meantime a surprise has been brought off with the proposal to start the steel industry in the Dominion under State conduct. The importance or need for the industry is admitted generally, the only point of difference being private enterprise or Sitato management, and thp lattei’ will carry the day.