PROGRESS LEAGUE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17881, 29 August 1918, Page 4

PROGRESS LEAGUE.

DEPUTATION TO HOSPITAL BOARD. ADVANCEMENT OF PROVINCE URGED. \ A deputation from the Progress League, consisting of the Mayor (Mr H. Holland), and Messrs P. R. Climio, 11. D. Acland and L. B. Hart, waited on the Hospital Board yesterday, for the purpose of getting into touch with the representatives of the local bodies on the board. The Mayor said that the league desired not only to meet members of local bodies, but to introduce the organiser, Mr Climie. The need for a league was apparent, and very considerable success had been achieved. Canterbury had been neglected for years and years, becauso it could not present a united front. Only at the Otira Tunnel ceremony he had received a telegram from the Auckland Progress League, congratulating the Canterbury “ settlers ” on getting their long tunnel through, while Auckland, with many short tunnels, could not get them finished. This was the constant attitude of Auckland, which was always pushing itself forward and securing grants for public purposes. At the last census, also, the population of the South Island had increased by 3640, and the North Island by 88,000. If a province was not progressing it was going back, and ho appealed for a united front from the whole province. The movement, Mr Holland continued, was not a city movement, for the city had had a substantial increase of population, hut he ventured to suggest that not one of the counties represented at the board had had an increase of population in the last six years- As for the Otira tunnel, he thought that the Minister’s forecast of two years would not be realised, and that it would be four years before the tunnel was completed. In that time the province would lose £400.000 in freight on coat and timber, and. the Government would lose £200,000 in interest on the undertaking. The league could help the province in a hundred ways, notably, in the provision of hydro-electricity. Mr Acland said that the country schools had not increased, and tho population had decreased, while land and income tax had leaped up without any return being obtained by the province for the increase. The League wanted to establish a- “Oanterbm.i conscious” feeling, and he hoped tho members of the board would all look very sympathetically on the work of tho league. In the matter of road 3, the North Island had many Government roads, while Canterbury had to bear the cost of all roads.

The Mayoi urged tho importance ol straining every nervo to secure the extension of electrical reticulation, tin view of the strong pressure being brought to bear in the North Island. Mr Climie having been introduced to the members of the board, the deputation withdrew, the chairman stating that lie had no doubt the members would take the matter into considers tion.