MEETING AT WASHDYKE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21728, 10 March 1936, Page 15

MEETING AT WASHDYKE

PROGRESS LEAGUE CRITICISED

(encuL to tm rsiis.) TIMARU, March 9. A lively meeting was held at Washdyke on Saturday night to consider local affairs, at which Mr J. Harris severely criticised the Washdyke Progress League. Eventually, Mr Harris, who had recently resigned as secretary of the organisation, was reinstated in office, and the } constitution was amended.

The chairman (Mr R. Sievwright), who presided over an attendance of 18 persons, said that the Washdyke Progress League itself had nothing to do with the meeting, which had been called by Mr Harris. Mr Harris, said that in September last he conceived the idea that the only way to obtain street lights at Washdyke was to form a progress league. Twelve burgesses were selected, but at the original meeting only eight turned up. A public meeting was called later, and from, it the league came into existence. It appeared, however, that some of the executive joined only to be antagonistic to anything put forward. He was the only one who had brought forward any business for the consideration of the league, and he claimed that 85 per cent, of it was either tabled, checked or abandoned to prevent the progress of the township. There was evidence that the meeting that night was being boycotted. Mr Harris, said that in his opinion Washdyke had lost a great opportunity for progres. l ? through not making representations to have the Timaru airport established at Washdyke. He complained also of the apathy about a proposal to. have the facilities of the Timaru Public Library extended to Washdyke. Mr Harris also referred to the proposed new stock route to Smithfleld so that Washdyke township might be avoided. Mr Dawe: These sheep have gone through the township for 50 years 1 , and no one has ever said that they were a nuisance.

After discussion regarding the right of interference with the constitution of the league in the absence of the executive, the chairman said that the meeting was a public one called for that purpose. It was decided that the secretary's resignation be not accepted, and that the constitution be 'amended to provide for the chairman and secretary, being appointed by the public. It was further decided that the Washdyke Progress League pay the costs of the meeting. Mr Harris thanked the meeting for its expression of confidence.