EXPANSION LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 22326, 30 April 1936, Page 15

EXPANSION LEAGUE

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Otago Expansion League was held on Tuesday evening, Mr G. J. Erriugton (president) in the chair. Members present were; Messrs A. Smiley, G. T. Baylee, H. L. Gibson, W. A. Scott, T, Scollay, W. J. Winefield, 11. G. Sincock, J. Roberts, G. Minims, A. Smith, and H. M. Mackay. The President reported that he had represented the league at the official opening of the Training College and also at the Anzac Day memorial. Since the last meeting he had also officially attended the opening of the road from Kingston to Queenstown, and spoke highly of the arrangements being made by the Railway Department lor the conveyance of passengers over the new route. The acquisition of the Wanaka motor service by the department was also noted, and the hope expressed that by securing this valuable connection and supplying an accelerated service on the CentraJ Railway a greater impetus would be given to settlers and visitors to travel through the Central. Special reference was made to the serious accident which had befallen one of the vice-presidents of the league—Mr R. S. Black—and reports as to his gradual improvement were received with pleasure, and a resolution of sympathy and good wishes unanimously recorded. Representation regarding several important details of the Maniototo irrigation scheme put_ forward for the league’s consideration by a settler in the district, with several suggestions for alterations which the writer felt would materially improve the . project, was made. As these suggestions were of a technical and practical nature the executive considered it would be advisable to consult the authorities before coming to any decision, and arrangements were made for the necessary information to be secured and the subject placed upon the agenda for consideration at the next meeting. Copies of the league’s latest publicity effort, ‘ The Visitors’ Guide to Dunedin,’ were placed before members together with a list of the distributing agencies through which they can be disseminated to the best advantage. The president received the congratulations of the members upon the success which had crowned his efforts, and the hope was freely expressed that the publication would be as popular and useful as its first edition had proved to be. Mr J. Roberts, Mayor of Cromwell, who is an ex officio member of the executive, spoke for some time upon the improvement of the Central Otago area, more especially that of Upper Clutha. The main object of his visit to town, said the Mayor, was to interest his friends and some of the publicspirited citizens in the creation of a beauty spot—a veritable oasis in the desert—in the , otherwise barren and forbidding Kawarau Gorge. The recent opening of the power station at the Roaring Meg by the Central Otago Power Board had given the Borough of Cromwell an opportunity of utilising a scenic reserve of five acres on the banks of that noisy torrent. The borough council was at present engaged in building a retaining wall along the road line and laying out the steep hill slope with terraced shrubberies, rustic seats, and safe fireplaces. It was not a camping area—the lee of the land prevented it. would be an ideal place where* travelling motorists may enjoy an al fresco lunch or morning or afternoon tea. With the added interest of the adjacent power station, this verdant corner would be a welcome change from the beetling cliff or rugged defile whose grim beauty make the Kawarau an interestieng road. The money the mayor was receiving from Dunedin friends and wellwishers would be spent upon this beautifying process, and the expenditure would be subsidised by the Borough Council. While on this subject Mr Roberts called the league’s attention to the urgent necessity of pressing on the task of widening and protecting the arterial roads. Everyone knew that most of the Central roads were strongly akin to the famous “ Auld Brig o’ Ayr,” where, according to the Scottish national poet, “ twa, wheelbarrows tremble when they meet,” and that modern swift transport made some corners the scenes of possible tragedies. The visitor from the Central strongly advocated league action jn pressing the responsible bodies, the Highways' Board and the county authorities, to speed up the work of widening the roads at all danger spots and providing a wall "or fence where the road overhangs either river or gully. He cited as an instance that famous piece of drystone building, the protecting wall in Conroy’s Gully. This piece of work, which has been greatly admired for years, is being demolished by reckless motorists who occasionally hit it in their hurry, and make gaps which lie unrepaired, and something should be done to preserve it. Mr Roberts informed the league that the improvements in the Cromwell Gorge were now well in hand, and that the road would soon be tar-sealed up to the Cromwell bridge, and hoped that as Cromwell would do its part, the tarsealing would be extended to Rembroke.

A general discussion followed on the suggestion put forward, and it was resolved to go further into the matter and ascertain if the road improvement scheme could be accelerated. ! The balance sheet was presented and adopted, and a sub-committee consisting of the president, vice-presidents, and Mr Baylee was appointed to go into the question of the finance of the league.