THE PROGRESS LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 5

THE PROGRESS LEAGUE.

YESTERDAY'S CONFERENCE. A oonferfence of delegates to the executive of the Canterbury Progress League* was held in the Ci.ty Chamber yesterday morning. The Mayor (Mr H. Holland, president) presided, and the following delegates attended: Messrs J. Wilson (Ashley County Coun_:i\ G F. T. Geerinjr (Ashley County Council). W. Bailey Borough Council), A. f • Wngh , m—™. Ashman., M. (Southbridge Town Ifeard) S. A. Staples (Waunam County 1 Council), A. Kaye (Chnstchurch Beauti!fvin« Association, and chairman LytItelttti Harbour $oard). J. J. Doug«L l |i ' C H Piper (Southbridge Town Board) i A. c! Maxwell, G. K (Heathcote County Councd), T\. foodwm (Mount Hufct Road Board) J. Carr (Mount Hutt Road Board), M W. "WoodSeld. (town clerk of Spreydon), T. Gee (Cheviot County Council), W. H. "Winsor (Mayor of Spreydon), J. Fitzpatrick (Kowai J. Row© (Kowai Coimtv Council). W. T. Lester (Mayor, of .fv 5* Cullcn (Malvern County Council), G. HaU (Sehryn County Council) E J. Howard (City Council), G. Barclay (Wairewn County Council), A. G. Henderson, F. Hubbard (Elleemere Land Drainage Board), B. R. Macdonald (South Canterbury Development Leafflie), C- I- Jennings (Mayor of 'tlaiunoral, J- R- "Wilkinson (Ashley G H. M vern County Council), B. Seth Smith (Amuri County Council), F. Horrell (Ttangiora Count* Council, J. W. Kime (Springs County Council), T\. J. McMillan (Springs County Counci >, A. McKenzie (Rangitata Road Board), F. J. Andrew (Selwyn County Council), D. Hawke (Oxford County Council), J. Cairns (Ashburton County Council) A. Thompson (Springs County CpunMl). T. "Wilson (Tinwald Road Board), W. K. McAlpine (Tawera County Council) F. Kibblewhite (Mayor ofiN ew Brighton), H. Tallotfc (Rangiora County Council), F. G. (Eyre County Council), Galbraith (Mayor of Ashburton),TW. Reese, Dr. C. C.. Farr (Cantobury Philosophical Institute). Mr P. R. Climie (organiser) and Mr D. Hoare (secretary) were aieo presraat. Apologies were jreoeiv«d for the absence of the Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister), Sir J. Allen (Minister of Defence), Hon. G. "W. Russell (Minister of .Internal Affairs). Hon. W. H. Hemes (Minister of Hon. A. Myers (Minister in Charge <rf Mum-

tions), Sir W. Eraser (Minister of Public Works). Hon. J. A. Hanan (Minister of Education), Sir Francis Bell (Attor-ney-General). Mr J. Craigie, 31.1 ■ (chairman of the South Canterbury Development League), Dr. C. Chilton, Mr J. A. Frostick (National Efficiency Commissioner for Canterbury), Mr 1 1 . 31. Kobson (president of the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council). Mr IX i Bruce (chairman of the Akaroa County Council), Mr H. Shipley (representing 'the Paparua County Council), Mr A. W . Jamieson (president of the Canterbury Industrial Association). Mr W. Mcßae (representing tho Waipara County Council), Mr McGregor Wright (Mayor of Wools ton), and Mr Morton (presi- j dent of the Canterbury Automobilo Association), Mr W. J. Jenkin, Mr C. W. Hervey, and Mr G. 31. Hall. THE MAYOR'S WELCOME. Tho Mayor, in welcoming the delegates, said that tho object of the gathering was to give liheni _an oppor- j tunity to review past operations of the League and learn what was intended in the future. The League was to be congratulated on securing tho services of 3lr Hoaro as secretary, and 3lr Climie as organiser. Both gentlemen alroady had dono a .measure of work that-was surprising. Mr Climie's work in the country had been stupendous. In the lrstory r.f Canterbury there never had been Mich a deep and unanimous feeling in town and country that a scheme of progress for the whole province should be carried out. The League should specially consider proposals to provide homes for workmen in country districts. If agricultural labourers had small holdings on which they could keep a few cows and fowls and grow vegetables, they, would-stay in the districts, and tlieir labour would be' available when needed. The planting of lands should be taken in hand. The hydro-electrical scheme should be extended throughout Canterbury in order that cheap electric current might be widely distributed. If town and country worked together nothing would stop Canterbury's progress. The chairman specially welcomed members of tho South Canterbury Development League, and Mr B. R. *Macdonald,'in reply, said that it would be better for tho South Canterbury body to be a small brother to the larger body, rather than to amalgamate. There should be no parochialism in the work, however. ADDRESS BY ORGANISER. Mr Climie said that, although the work of organising the League was not yet by any means completed, sufficient had already been accomplished to justify the action of the committee in calling on the conference to receive the report, and to give consideration to plans and proposals for the future. Sufficient had neen accomplished to warrant the most sanguine expectations tor the future, as the most difficult portion of the journey had been safely negotiated. In fact, Canterbury to-

day occupied a _position it had never occupied since 1877, the year the province j was handed over to the Central Go- i vernment in Wellington, for better or j for worse, a position at one time con-1 sidered almost unrealisable. Town and j country, unselfishly pulling together in j a common movement for the advance- , ment of both, the establishment ot! an organisation already representative of virtually every local body within the area, and a real, live Canterbury spirit in the making—sucli were some of the points already achieved by the League s efforts to date. The following, was a I list of the local bodies constituting the organisation, but there might be a few more to add, as he was expecting further returns to come to hand:— church City Council, boroughs of Kangiora, Kaiapoi, Woolston, New Brighton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Riccarton, Spreydon, Ashburton; of Cheviot, Amuri, Waipara, Ashley, Kowai, Oxford, Rangiora, Ifrre, Waimairi, Paparua. Tawera, Heathcote, Halswoll, Selwyn, Springs, E J leS ™ er< r> Wairewa, Ashburton; IVTountHutt, Tinwald, and Southbridge Town B^rdsNot a single local body had attempted to reject the League's proposals, un the contrary he had been greeted on all sifles with words of encouragement, and best wishes for the League s su cess. The League at the present was not by any means completely ' and until the main branches had been established no work of any magnitude could very well commenced margin of certainty. Perhaps the mos* striking objective at f the was the speedy development of tn^ hydro-electrical scheme. • hydro-electrical scheme they had n _ limited possibilities, tat it would pend upon themselves how would be before full_ • * dvani j^- aturo taken of that wonderrul had so kindly presentod. rhe prool of maintaining mam arterial roao^ probably was the most <g cs^ n _ concerning local bodies. erally speaking, had already expre^e themselves in favour of a tax on tyres, providing the xa>ai ed in this manner was devoted stnc y to road maintenance, purposes J « the important functions of the leam should %e to secure the fullest ana freest possible use of the r * J ways :[ the community upon the easiest term possible. Another sphere °f was publicity—that was. advertising all its judicious forms. Canterbury, been hiding its light under a b quite long enough, and it .T ras , . tc somebody took in hand on its b the beating of the big dram. Jflie . trict could not expand and develop , less it was backed up by a stream of population, and to e j 8 that Canterbury must display its c in some attractive the mtxif of the district as

a. field for all kinds of investment, place of residence, and generally a most | desirable spot for anybody and everybody. A comprehensive advertising campaign should, tlierefore, be undertaken and carried out by the league, advantage being taken of every means at disposal. It- would bo for the council of tho league later on, when it was shaping its procedure, to guard against any possibility of the league being used for tlio promotion of sectional interests without the general approval of the branches and local bodies. Ho expressed sincere thanks to the Press for tho valuable assistance rendered in his work of organisation in the country districts. ■He failed to seo how, without t.ie assistant of the newspapers, he could have managed in tho time, as tho pc9~ pie in tho country really studied their newspapers more than the townspeople did, and hardly an item news appeared to escape their notice. Tho constitution prepared by the provisional executive was approved. A scheme of branch organisation was approved. . It was resolved that tho Provincial Executive of the League should carry on tho work until the end of the financial year. . . The Hon. T. 31. Wilford. Minister of Justice, was not able to attend at the ■ Chamber until the conference had con- ' eluded, but he met the MayM and Messrs Climie and Hoare in tho Mayor's Toom, and discussed with them i a question raised by Mr Wright as to passing legislation to enable local bodies |to contribute to tho funds of the 1 league.