HILEY SCHEME.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18015, 6 March 1924, Page 15

HILEY SCHEME.

PORT COMMUNICATION

MONSTER DEPUTATION TO MR MASSEY. The fliley schetnr. as i! relates U> the improvement of the railway facili ties between Cliristohiirch and l.yltel--1011. was discussed at lart night 's meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League, arid it was agreed to organise a large deputation to wait upon the Prime Minister with a request that the facilities be improved. The subject was discussed at lite quarterly meeting of the Council of the League last week, when it was referred to the executive for consideration of ways and means of bringing the matter before the Government. Mr A. G. Henderson said the history of the scheme was a long record of applications for something to be done. Nothing had been done apart from the building of a large goods shed. There were Two of the scheme so far as the Jy.vtteb.cn line was concerned — the line itself and the Christchurch railway station. The station was hopelessly out of date, and it was a wonder that the staff could carry out its work at all. Tlic real port, of Christchurch was the Christchurch railwav'staticu. Railway t'acili. tics which were out. of date twentyfive years ago must be out of date in ]924. He. quoted the building permits issued by the Uhristehurch City Council since 1014 to show how business had been developing in and around Christchurch. The time had come when the people of Canterbury should take the matter n little more seriously. The Government should not be allowed to deny their request, on the grounds that money was tight. The Government. could raise the money, for it had been raising it for works in and around Auckland. (Hear, hear.) Mr W. T. Lester (Mayor of Lyttclton) supported the contention that tlio Government should be urged to undertake the improvement of means of com. munieation.

Electrifying the Tunnel. Mr H. Holland agreed that it was high time the Christchurch railway station was improved. The first plank of the League's platform' had been tlio Otira Tunnel. That was tiow out of the way and the League should concentrate on the duplication and electrification of the line. Money was beinp lavishly spent in the North Island. The Public Works Department was building a splendid road over the Rimutakafi, without a farthing contribution from the local bodies. When Christchurch spent money on the only road giving access to Lyttelton a £ for £ subsidy was the best they could get.

Mr W. J. Jenkin said he was not sure that duplication of the tunnel was going to solve the problem, buthe admitted that electrification would go a long way towards it. Three Suggestions.

Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said be agreed absolutely that Canterbury hod a profound grievance. The position, as Jrie saw it, was that Mr Go ate s did not care a snap of his lingers for tho Canterbury Progress League. The speaker did not think Mr Coates cared much for tho public opinion of Canterbury. Mr Suiuvan said ho was not so sui-3 of the second statement as he was of the first. The Minister should care for the opinion of 1-be J<eague, but he did not. A member: Why? Mr Sullivan: I don't know. A voice: We want to know. Continuing, Mr Sullivan said the League was a* representative public body, it had put up a good ease, and its opinion should be listened to. Despite their newspapers, the League, public opinion and members of Parliament, the Government still did nothing. If the two Canterbury members of the Cabinet were as keen on 'Canterbury rfiattens as were the League and the outside members of Parliament, something migb v fc be iieard of the scheme. He was not an oracle and he had no solution to put forward, but it had occurred to him that they might get permission for a representative of . the League to speak on the question before the Bar of the House. It was not a common practice in this country, but it might be brought about: The second alternative was that they should make a special appeal to Messrs L. M. lsitt and G. Witty, M..P's, who held the balance of power in their Hands, to make a point of demanding the Government's attention. His third alternative was passive resistance. He supposed that they had all" paid their income-tax, andi his suggestion would be too late, but if they withheld.payment of taxes, they would attract the attention of the Government.

Mr Henderson said they should protest against such Bu'botago, (Laughter.) Mr Sulliivan: I have at least made a suggestion. Mr Henderson was very eloquent, but lie sat down before he had suggested anything practical. (Laughter.) Monster Deputation. Mr "\V. B. Leadley said ho was not enamoured of the suggestions put forward by Mr Suiiivan. It would be creating a very dangerous preeeclfifii. to allow an outsider to speak at tho Bar or th«/ House. lie did believe, however, that they should concentrate upon their two important members of Parliament. If they could not get something through their own representatives, there was something wrong indeed. It was remarkable, the apathy shown hitherto by the business people of Christchurvh. The farmers, ratepayers, and manufacturers should be organised. He believed in the oldfashioned. method of deputations. The Prime Minister would be in Christchurch next week, and they should organise a monster deputation to wait upon him, and to place their ease before him. He moved a resolute to that effect. Mr Leadley differed from Mr Sullivan's view that Mr Coates did not care a rap for the opinion of the League.

Mr "W. T. Lill scconrit-'d the motion. No Government, he said, should be able to stand between tlicra end the welfare of the province. If the Government were not prepared to carry out the work, Canterbury would do it themselves. They should impress upon the Government that if they were not prepared to do the work they should get out and let someone else do it. They wero not antagonistic to the Government so long as they would listen to the Canterbury request. They should make the deputation to tho Prime Minister something huge, and make it plain that something must J:e doue. United Voice Required. Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said that it was only the city members who were heard in Parliament on the question. Consistent agitation had been going on for many years. After all, the present Government had not been in power in New Zealand so very long. The Liberal Government had teen in power even longer, and it also had shelved the question. He considered if r .,the Canterbury people were determined that the scheme should be carried out, it would be carried out. The Minister had assured him that there was a scheme under consideration to alter the

lay-out of the Christehurch railway station. "Mention has been njade of two members who have extraordinary power,'' said Mr Armstrong. '' I hope that this League will not stoop to such means of gaining its ends. lam sure, also, that those two members would have no more power than any other members." Ho was sure that they could get what they wanted irrespective of the party in power.

Westland's Overseas Port. Mr D. J. Evans (We'stland) said that in Westland they looked upon Lytteltou as the overseas port of the West Coast, and any assistance they could give "would be given. It was of vital importance to the Coast that there should be better communication between Christehurch and its port. From what he had heard at that meeting he understood that they had put up with their disabilities for many years, but they -were tackling their problem with the greatest good humour. In Defence of Government.

51 r H. Macartney Said lie did not think they had been quite fair to the present Government in they speeches that night. In all matters the League had brought before the Government it had roceived every consideration. They could not expect the Government to undertake a largo expenditure when the people wero not united on tno question. But they were united now. Every local body was represented by the League. If it were not, that wjis tho fault of the local body, not the League. If the League undertook an agitation on behalf of duplication «ind electrification, the League would receive the same consideration .to its request as it had in the past. No Government could afford to ignore tno voice of united Canterbury. With the Government in a position to supply its own power from Lake Coleridge, haula.rr© bv electricity would be economical. "Don't blame the present Government too much, but blame yourselves for not bringing the question before the! Government in the way you intend, to do so now," said Mr Macartney. ■ Canterbury at Fault. ' The chairman (Mr W. K. McAlpine) said Mr Macartney had hit the n«ul on the head. Mr Isitt had told them that it had been impossible to go to tlie Government with the request for duplication, because there had been agitations going on in Canterbury :i<g;iinsb it. lor the lust two y<?BJ3 iittle or nothing had been heard of the Port Christehurch scheme. The supporters of that scheme had since given their support, in a.large measure, to the duplication of the electrification scheme. They did not uiind whether thev duplicated, or electrified or removed the hill altogether so long as the Government improved the communication. It was u. matter for engineers. It had been said that their own Ministers had not helped them, but had they asked those Ministers? He was sure blufE was no good. Facts and figures' were required at the deputation to wait upon the Prime Minister.

Mr Sullivan 6aid that he would like it to be recognised that his proposition to withhold payment of taxes was i mad© in semi-humorous vein. He believed that such passive resistance could be undertaken only as a matter of conscience. The motion waa then carried unanimously.