WESTLAND PROGRESS LEAGUE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1945, Page 8

WESTLAND PROGRESS LEAGUE

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The last meeting of the year of the Council of the Westland District Progress League was held at the Grey Main School on Tuesday evening, Mr. J. M. Bunt presiding over an attendance of 11 Council members. A report from the President, Mr. W. ,D. Taylor, on an interview with the chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr. J. B. Kent, on the alleged lack of co-operation between the two bodies, in which Mr. Kent expressed agreement to co-operate with the League, was received. The Minister of Transport, Mr. O’Brien, advised that no further progress had been made in connection with the transportation of Kumara workers and school children by road service to Greymouth. Mr. W. F. Harley said that the New Zealand Railway Road Services, now it had recommenced a daily service to Hokitika, was again considering the matter. He had interviewed Mr. O’Brien since and he had agreed that the only thing to do was for the Road Services to take over the service, though it would not be profitable. Mr. T. Blackie: Kumara is. only asking for the same thing as Blackball has. Would it make any difference if coal were found at Kumara? It was decided to request the Minister of Railways to take over the service and seek the co-operation of the Trades and Labour Council. The Minister of Marine, Mr. O’Brien, forwarded permission for the League to approach the Engineer of the Grey Harbour Board and study his plan of the soundings at Point Elizabeth or obtain a copy of it. It was impossible at .the present juncture, he added, for him to state when the experts would be arriving from England to report on West Coast harbours, but they had been supplied with data and plans which would be studied before they left England, and he hoped they would arrive early in the New Year.—lt was decided to make enquiries concerning a report on the soundings. TE KINGA BRIDGE. Requesting that the Council of the League visi't the district shortly, the Te Kinga Residents’ Committee, in support of their agitation for the construction of a traffic bridge over Crooked River, forwarded the following facts: (1) The existing foot bridge has been condemned as unsafe" and not worth repairing, and there have been several drownings as a result of falls from the bridge. (2) The footway over the railway bridge is used as an alternative, but. railway regulations forbid, and, owing to the heavy nature of the goods traffic on the line, there is always the possibility of serious accidents. (3) In cases of serious accidents, serious iIL ness and confinement cases, the patients have to be carried a mile or more across the railway bridge to the end of the road at the other side and sometimes have a long wait in all weathers without shelter for an ambulance. As a result of this practice several deaths have occurred. (4) Women have to walk over the river and wait for hours for the butcher and baker. (5) The building of the proposed bridge will open up valuable farm land, scenic and tourist resorts, camping grounds, fishing, shooting and yachting facilities. (6) The building of .the bridge and continuing the road to Rotomanu will connect up with the main highway after the Taramakau bridge is erected. (7) There is a most modern school at Te Kinga and there is a move to centralise the district schools there.

Mr. Harley said the Transport Committee had no recommendation to make. It was at a dead end. It was decided that a committee visit Te Kinga, it being left to Mr. Harley and the secretary (Mr. J. Saunders) to fix a date. In reply to the League’s request for the appointment of a Research Officer in Westland, the Director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr. E. Marsden, advised that members of a coal research party were operating in North Westland and the Department .was also arranging for a party of scientists, including geologists, soil survey officers and botanists to undertake a reconnaissance survey of South Westland,-operating by boat. He was also endeavouring to arrange for a general soil and agricultural survey of the Westland district, but doubted whether a man could be spared this year. He had hoped to arrange with officers of the Lincoln College for a general agricultural, forestry and soil survey of the district, and this matter would be further discussed by the Research Council. The Rotomanu branch of the Federated Farmers wrote supporting the request for the establishment of a Wednesday railcar service on the Otira line. The secretary said that a subcommittee had interviewed the District Traffic Manager (Mr. F. S. Gray), but there seemed to be little hope for anything to be done with the execution of speeding up the train if possible. A railcar service was impossible, as was an extra train,-owing to the coal shortage. The secretary also reported that the Locomotive Engineer had been interviewed in connection with converting steam engines to oil-burners, but it appeared that this was not feasible. The speeding up of the Christchurch express was also discussed, but nothing could be done. Mr. R. J. Truman, reporting on the possibility of a cement industry at Greymouth, stated that the Cobden lime should be suitable. The railway was available and coal handy, and the other necessary ingredient, marl, would be found in the vicinity. From the transport point of view Greymouth was most suitable. There was a market in Canterbury for West Coast cement. Slack coal could be used, and this at present was largely being wasted. ‘The cost of plant was fairly high, but was available. At present it would appear that cement could be produced cheaper at Greymouth than any other place in New Zealand. The matter was referred to Messrs Truman, T. Blackie, G. R. Harker and Bunt. TRANSPORT ITEMS. The following recommendations of the Transport and Communications Committee were adopted: That the Minister of Broadcasting be thanked for his letter indicating future improvements in the strength of radio station 3ZR, but the Minister be requested to make an assurance that a technical engineer would be sent here to give the area a field strength survey in anticipation of the early improvement of station equipment. This would eliminate “blank” spots, said Mr. Harley. That the timetable for the Hokitika - Nelson - Wellington - Auckland service be synchronised to enable a through trip to Auckland, an amend- ' ment of 15 minutes making this possible, and would give invaluable service for passengers and mails, (

A recommendation that due to the danger and inconvenience of Broad Creek, a telephone be connected from the creek to the Bealey Hotel to enable contact to be made with towing personnel until such time as a bridge is constructed, was referred to the Canterbury Automobile Association, the League to associate itself with any action taken by that body. The following recommendations were made by the Industries and Commerce Committee: —

(1) That the Transport Committee be asked to go into the question of whether it is possible to provide a more regular service between Wellington and Greymouth and Auckland and Greymouth, for general cargo.— Adopted. (2) Power for industrial purposes: After some discussion on this point, particularly with relation to Dunedin offering free power, for an initial term of three years, for new industries, it was recommended that the Power Board be approached with the view of getting some reduction in the rate of power for industrial purposes, to bring Greymouth more in line with other centres.—Referred back to the committee.

(3) The secretary was asked to see if it were possible to procure a copy of the borough plans covering town planning. It was also moved that a recommendation be sent through the League supporting Mr. Kennedy’s scheme for the reclaiming of lagoon areas for industrial purposes.—The first proposal was approved and the second referred back to the committee.