OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 23021, 28 July 1938, Page 22

OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE

MINISTERIAL REPLIES TO REQUESTS The monthly meeting of the executive committee of the Otago Expansion League was held on Tuesday evening, Mr H. M. Mackay (acting president) dccupying the chair. Other members present were Messrs A; Smith, C. A. Wilson, J. Y. Love, A. Smiley, G. Newey, A. Clark, R. S. Black and J. Inglis Wright. In connection with railway tourist tickets, which had formed the subject of previous correspondence, the acting general manager of railways wrote stating that the anomaly pointed out by the league had been rectified. He thanked the league for their courteous and constructive criticism. The Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) wrote thanking the league for its message of congratulation upon the progress of the Haast Pass road, and expressing his keen desire to see this valuable work completed. The Minister stated in regard to the extension of the Mount Aspiring road that his department

had allocated the sum of £IOOO and the Lake County Council was adding a subsidy of £125, which would suffice to carry the road round the bluff on the Matukituki River. As the duplication of the St. Leon-ards-Sawyers’ Bay section of the main north line was now well in hand, the league had approached the Minister of Railways (Mr D. G. Sullivan) with a request for the early consideration of the Sawyers' Bay-Waitati deviation. The Minister wrote acknowledging the receipt of the league’s resolution on this subject and also the representations made by Mr M. Connelly, M.L.C., on the subject. The whole matter was under review, he stated, and a decision would be announced in due . course. The Wellington Free Ambulance (Association wrote asking if ' any fresh move had been ! made in connection with the suggested institution of a free ambulance for Dunedin. —The acting president pointed out that when this subject was raised after a previous meeting he had interviewed the St. John Ambulance Association and, , after hearing their views and those jof other interested bodies, had de-

cided that no further action should be taken.—The secretary was instructed to notify Wellington accordingly. Communications were received from the South Island Travel Association on the subject of the issue of guide books.—The league’s reissue of a Dunedin guide was stressed as suitable and sufficient for present needs and the hope was expressed that the Travel Association would not be too hurried in issuing a similar and overlapping publication. The town clerk wrote that the question of the civic square which had formed the subject of a deputation from the league to the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) would be further considered by the City Council, and a deputation from the league was invited to attend the council meeting when the proposals would be reviewed.—The invitation was accepted. The Canterbury Progress League wrote asking for the league’s support to its agitation for the cessation of payments to the Consolidated Fund of portions of the proceeds from the petrol tax.—The resolution was agreed to.