WEST COAST OF SOUTH ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12817, 17 March 1905, Page 3

WEST COAST OF SOUTH ISLAND.

IMPRESSIONS OF A RECKXT VISITOR.

[ V 'J'KI/IHiH Al'lt. —(IWN' COIIRF.SI'O.VDKXT.] CuKisrcHURCH, Thursday. j The Rev. .In 111 Paterson, formerly of St. John's Presbyterian Church, Wellington, is at present in this city in connection with the work of Presbyterian church extension, to which lie is now de-voting his time and energies. He spent all last mouth visiting the different centres on the west coast of i this island, and found the coast was in a ' more progressive condition than lie had been led to expect, though population had decreased in some portions owing to the slackness in gold mining. He found the .people active and hopeful, and noted that there was considerable commercial activity at Greymouth and Westport, duo to thecoal mining. Like many others who visit the "West Coast, Mr. Paterson was much struck with the large numbeer of publichouses in most of the towns, and was especially impressed with this tact at Kumara. He inquired the reason for such a proportionately large number of hotels as compared with the population, and was informed that people applied for licenses to give value to their properties, which in some cases they would not possess at all. . This artificial value they desired so that they would lie at an advantage if at any time they wished to dispose of their properties. In answer- to his inquiry why the licensing committees granted so many licenses, he was informed that license fees were a great aid to the lwrough finances. Despite the presence of so many public-bouses in townships which once boasted large populations he did not think there was so much drun-i kenness as one might expect under the circumstances. "I am bound to say,"' he added. "that during all the time I was on' the West Coast 1 never saw one drunken person there, and I must say that I saw no more drunkenness than anywhere else." In many instances the public-houses were simply relics of a previous state of affairs, and some were attended to by the wife and daughters whilst the husband was away working a milling claim.