Neglect Of South Islands State Figures Quoted

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1948, Page 8

Neglect Of South Islands State Figures Quoted

(P.A.) WESTPORT, October 13. “Never before, I think, have the people of the South Island been so awakened to the necessity for mutual and combined effort as this year,” said the president (Mr E. H. Andrews, Mayor of Christchurch), speaking to the' annual report at the conference of the South Island Local Bodies’ Association in Westport today. “Many things have contributed to this state of affairs, such as the Otago centenary, the power shortage, the conference with South Island members of Parliament, and, perhaps more than anything else, Auckland’s action in connection with the Empire Games, not to mention the School of Forestry. “At least we have the satisfaction of knowing that our demands are openly made and honestly pursued, and that the people and institutions of the South Island will not descend to questionable methods for gaining their desires.”

Some Progress Made Some progress had been made, and more was promised with internal air services, and with the plan for an overseas air terminal in the. South Island, said Mr Andrews. Continual representations had been made for the re-establishment of the BluffMelbourne shipping service. The Government had stated its intention of utilising a levy on an acreage basis for the restoration and reafforestation of dredged areas as soon as circumstances permitted. The Postmas-ter-General (Mr F. Hackett) had given an assurance that the six-day delivery of rural mails would be continued. and had partly met a demand by the association and others for the abolition of the sales tax on public transport vehicles "From time to time, Ministers of. the Crown and officials assert that the South Island is getting its full proportion of expenditure on development,” Mr Andrews continued. “It may startle you to find how far from fact these statements really are. Take the Tourist Department. Official figures give details of expenditure on each resbrt for the last 10 years. The total spent on tourist resorts by the Government for the 10 years from 1938 to 1948 was: North Island £175,278, South Island £33,458. Hydro-Electric Development “Again, I have figures in detail for the capital assets held in the Government hydro-electric stations from March 31, 1937, to March 31, 1947. These show that the North Island assets increased from £8,976,196 in 1937 to £23,487,394 in 1947, an increase of £14,511,198. In the South Island, the assets during the same period increased from £6,149,234 to £10,485,931, an increase of £4,336,707.

“Projected expenditure on hydro works for 1948 and -1949 is: North Island, £8,323,191; South Island, £3,544,301. Thus the total increases in the State Nydro-electric Department’s assets will be: North Island, £22,834,389; South Island £7,881,008. “These are big figures, but I give them to show a comparison of the position in the North and South Island. Such examples are valuable as information, and show need of an association such as ours to watch the position, and to press the demands of the South Island for a fair share of public expenditure. “Especially may I draw attention to the great disparity in tourist expenditure between the two islands, when jt is freely admitted that the South

Island has a vastly greater and superior number of attractions than the North Island. But the South Island has received less than onesixth of the total expenditure on resorts.”

Overseas Air Terminal

A remit urging on the Government “the immediate necessity for the establishment of an overseas air terminal in the South Island,” was carried unanimously. Moving the remit on behalf of the Malvern County, Mr G. C. Warren said he was dismayed to find that every other county did not have a similar remit. The conference must have a solid front and not be parochial on the situation of the terminal.

“We are miles behind other countries, and the Dominions cannot afford to live alone,” he continued. “The lack of modern air transport is holding up intercourse with overseas countries.”

Officers Elected

Officers were elected as follows: —

President, Mr E. H. Andrews, Mayor of Christchurch (re-elected); vice-president, Mr D. H. Cockburn (Otago); secretary, Mr F. G. K. Gilchrist (Christchurch); treasurer. Mr H. S. Feast (Christchurch); auditor, Mr J. W. Niven (Christchurch); executive committee, Messrs M. F. Cooney (representing Otago boroughs), W. S. Mac Gibbon (South Island harbour boards), M. Wallace (Westland counties), B. Chittock (.Otago counties), J. A. Harris (Canterbury boroughs), R. T. McMillan (South Island power boards), A. Machner (Invercargill), A. E. S. Hanan (Timaru), W, S. Crotty (Canterbury counties),' E, W. Stevens (Southland counties), F. Boustridge (West Coast.boroughs), L. J. C. Ireland (Dunedin), A. T. Newman (Southland boroughs), J. A. Harley, M. Durkin, E. C. Lawfence, L. A. Higgins, H. J. S. Mitchell (Nelson, West Coast, Buller, and Marlborough county councils), and Dr G. Jobberns (South Island catchment boards).