AID TO PROGRESS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 252, 24 October 1919, Page 6

AID TO PROGRESS

FORMATION OF DEVELOPMENT .j

LEACUES. /

A WJDESI'U KAI> MOVEMENT

The formation of nil Expansion League, to assist in the development .of the Auckland Province, was advocated by Mr W. Stuart Wilson, of Wellington, who has been on a visit to Auckland.

Mr. Wilson was one of the founders

of the Otago Expansion League, and is convinced, in view of his experience of expansion and development lepgues in the South Island, that this

is the means by which the public may assist the Government in bringing about the much needed development of our resources and industries. Speaking of the formation of the present leagues in the South Island, Mr Wilson said in 19L2' a few business men mat in Dunedin and formed the Hundred Thousand League. 1 his title was later changed to the Dunedin Expansion Leiguc, and subsequently to the Otago Expansion League. The league had been actively interested in every kind of progressive movement in Otago, more especially the development of hydroelectric power and the fostering of agriculture in various ways. The re-

cent decision of the Government to start experimental farms and .open experimental areas in Otago, \vas directly due to the league's representations.

One important movement started by the Otago League was the introduction of "the Boys' Agricultural ■Club competitions, on ths lines of those carried on so successfully during the last eight years in the United ' HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER SCHEME1. The activities of the league were best illustrated by the fact that it had educ-it-id the people of Otago to Die necessity of harnessing the water power of the province. A meeting of local bodies, representative of the vhcle, of Otago, recently decided to raise £2030 to cover the cost of;the preliminary work, Sir Joseph Ward lu.ving assured the league • that it would be possible to get £1,000,000 for. developing the water power ■•..of "Otago. Some time .after the start of the Obago League a similar league was formed in Invercargill, and it became the most active organisation of the kind in New Zealand. * This league v/as also in a position to secure £1,----000,000 to. develop the water power of Southland, aiid so great was the feeling in favor of such a project that the league, had already sold a It rge amount of prospective power. Speaking of, other districts '.which had taken up this forwird movement, Mr Wilson said that Mr J. Craigie, M.P. for Timara, had been very successful in forming a South Canterbury .De/iqpment League, which was f<beady doing good work, while the Canterbury Progress League, with he-ad offices in Chi'istehurch, had now btcome ftivnly established. ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS OF v PARLIAMENT. • "A'movement-has been started in Wellington to form a league for the province,*' continued' Mr Wilscn, ''and it seems to me it would result in great Benefit to the whole of the Dominion if a similar league were staited in the Auckland Province. All these leagues working for the same object must eventually be' a great factor in helping the Government to solve the many problems now facing it." The work now being done by the Auckland 'Hydro-electric League was irentioned by Mr Wilson, who said this league could easily throw in its lot with the proposed, larger body, its members providing a committee to advise on the large and important question of hydro-elecfcrie power. Members of Parliament who were members of the present leagues had tcld him that, in taking part in the york of these bodies they obtained first-hand information on many of the problems with Which they had to deal, such as they could not get in any other way. AUCKLAND'S UNDEVELOPED ..7 -_ . , 'AREAS. ". . • Dealing with the advantages to be derived from such a league, Mr Wilson said he had been informed that ' there werj 10,000,000 acres of undeveloped land in the province. This i was on^ of the problems with which j a league could begin at once, en- j couraging agriculture by means of' the boys' agriculture scheme, which ■ \\ ould more than double the produc- I tuity'of the soil in a very few years. This, he said, _had been amply proved by the magnificent results obtained i/i the United States, giving as. an instance one area whera the corn ciop of 29,000,000 bushels had been, ii'creased to 65,000,000 within a very; short period. A league comprising all the jjocal bodies of;, the province working with private-citizens /would have better results than those attain-; ed by'the present; methods. There were many needed- "reforms vital to the farmer which1 such a body ,could the more readily bring withui the possibility of realisation owing to it's it preservative character and th c weight of public opinion it ./'would carry with it. UNITED ACTION IMPERATIVE. "United, action is imperative if the province is to be developed in a businesslike way," said Mr Wilson. "Cooperative effort will get the best results,' and those attained by the Otago and Southland Leagues is proof beyond doubt of the value of such organisations." , I He mentioned that the idea of the ! Expansion League :n Dunedin was taken from . the Commerce and Rotary Clubs which, "boost" cities! and districts ail over America. He expressed the opinion that, as the ' movement had widespread approval . in ..the, Uniijed States, had been taken ' up with enthusiasm in Sydney, and had shown results in the South Islend, the formation of an expansion : feague in the North would do more to advance the interests of the Auck- ' land Province than anything yet attempted. He reommended the constitution of the Otago Expansion League to any new leagues .starting, spying it was one which might with fcdyantage be used throughout the. British Empire for development on sound scientific lines. Mr Wilson said lie was looking forward to the day when the whole, of New Zealand would be linked up by leagues of the kind suggested. Annual conferences of such bodies would be in a position to give practical help to the Government and local bodies, for the movement would really bring the mass of th-? people in to help in forwarding the progress and development of the country.