PROGRESS LEAGUE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 6

PROGRESS LEAGUE

REPORT ON HIGHWAYS PAVING BETWEEN ROLLESTON AND RAKAIA The executive of the Canterbury Progress League met last night, Mr C. Flavell presiding over a good attendance. In the absence of Mr J. E. Strachan. chairman of the league's highways committee, Mr George Maginness presented the committee's report as follows: BowhiU Road and Rookwood Avenue. New Brighton.— Advantage was taken of the Highways Board's visit on January 19 .to place before its members the special claims of the New Brighton Borough Council for a subsidy, grant, or other form offlnancial assistance towards the cost ot sealing these roads, which are an. important section of the trolley-bus route to North Beach. The deputation was well received, and while the board was unable to give a definite reply without first taking time to consider the request, the deputation had every reason to anticipate favourable results. Rolleston-Rakaia Section.—A conference of representatives of the local bodies concerned in the above section of the Picton-Bluff hgihway, was held on December 13. Previous conferences that had been called to consider this matter had failed to produce satisfactory results, but on this occasion the representatives of two local bodies concerned virtually agreed to recommend to their respective councils that definite steps be taken to approach the Highways Board on the subject. The conference agreed that there were special circumstances connected with this section that would justify the Highways Board in granting a larger subsidy than usual. Indeed, some of the members present stated that the motoring organisations considered that the board should find the whole of. the money rather than delay the work any longer, and with the prospect that definite steps would be taken by at least two of the local bodies, it was felt that a certain measure of progress had been made, and that the conference had been worth while. The Haast Pass Route. —The attention of the Minister for Public Works has been called to the potentialities of a road via the Haast Pass connecting Otago and South Westland. It was explained to the Minister that while the league did not feel disposed to support blindly the proposal at this juncture, but preferred to defer final consideration until some reliable information was available concerning the cost of such an undertaking, it did consider, however, that the proposal was worthy of careful investigation. The report was adopted. Lake Ellesmcre Drainage. Mr F. Coop reported that with the league's organiser, Mr P. R. Climie, he had waited on the Minister for Public Works in Wellington concerning proposals for the drainage of Lake EllesVnere. and it had been decided by the t.ake Ellesmere Land Drainage Board tV invite the Prime Minister to visit lake and to place all the facts of th\J case before him. Dr. E. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific?. and Industrial Research, and Mr F. Callaghan, of that department, also bean interviewed, and it was hope.tt that Mr L. I. Grange, of the GoveiUiment Geophysical Survey Department, also would visit the lake. The Alport was adopted. Lari d Valuation Legislation. Mr Clin\ie submitted a report on behalf of the, league' land valuation committee, set out that it was regretted thast ".circumstances did not permit of a of the committee being called consider the bill intro-

duced and passed last session. The bill was brought down in the dying hours of the session, and there had been no time for the committee to consider it. Mr Maginness said that the league should enter a protest and forward it to thd Government against the introduction of bills of interest to the public, and, in this case, to local bodies, in the dying hours of the session. He moved: "That the Minister be written to drawing his attention to the fact that it had been stated that the Valuation of Land Amendment Bill had been prepared at the beginning of the session, but was not presented till right on the dying hours of the session." Mr G. M. Hall seconded the motion, which was agreed to, and the report of the committee was adopted.