RAPID GROWTH

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 162, 10 June 1939, Page 8

RAPID GROWTH

CITY AND DISTRICT. SURVEY OF DEVELOPMENT

Striking evidence of the growth of Palmerston North, the district, about it and the importance of tlie Wellington province, taking this city as its centre, was presented at tlie annual dinner, last evening, ol the Palmerston North Chamber ot Commerce. When proposing the toast "Tlie City of Palmerston North and District,”. Captain S. Holm, president ol the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, gave an outline of tlie city’s importance. “Sixty-two years ago the district surrounding Palmerston North was covered with swamp and bush and the town had a population oi 880. persons,” said Captain Holm. "Tp-da.' it is one of the most fertile and highly developed agricultural districts in the Dominion and Palmerston North, which for many years lias been one of the leading country centres and now lias a population very little short of 2-3,000, has achieved city status within recent years.

“This achievement is partly due to its central position, but also largely due to tlie initiative and piogressiveness of its citizens and of these who dwell in its surrounding districts. “During the last three years the city’s population lias increased by 8 ner rent. The capital value of itpropert’cs has increased by o y ol £3OO 000. and during the same period (lie revenue of your gas department has increased from £33 237 to £4O 324, that of the electricity department £OO 748 to £09,889. and that o_f the omnibus department £3933 to £< 10/A GEOGRAPHICAL CENTRE. “If one describes a circle with Palmerston North as the centre and the .southern rim passing through Wellington, then the western rim passes through Patea, tlie northern rim .brough Natonal Park —sill boundaries oi Wellington province. On the cast, it is trir\ the circle would sweep to Hastings and take in a portion at Hawke’s Bay. hut nevertheless Palmerston North's position, more than that- of any other town, can he called Hie centre of our province: the sixtli in point of size and consisting of less than one-tenth of tlie area of the Dominion. The Wellington province contains three of New Zealand’s seven cities —Wanganui. Palmerston North and Welling.on. ft supoprts 20 percent of this Dominion’s population, carries 20 per cent, of tiiis Dominion s cattle, 21 per cent, of the sheep and 13 per cent, of tlie pigs. “The value of goods shipped outward overseas last year from its ports of Eoxton. Wanganui, and “Wellington was £13.000,000 and the inwardoverseas : ned-; were valued at £2l -

30 000. These figures represent 2(5 per c< nt o tae exports o, tins conn try and 39 per cent, of its imports. If coastwise trade is tak'u into consideration tlie ports of lho “Wellington province show up in still hotter comparison. and these figures, hear in mind, are from an area loss than onetenth the s’V.e ot Ihe Dominion. There is one more figure which may lie noted, namely, that the amount ot tranship nent cargo dealt with lvv our ports, is 72 per cent, of tlie total tranship menis of the country and. as presi dent or the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, "ill you please allow me to sav with the utmost humility that the whole of that 72 per cent, passes over the Wellington wharves. (Laughter )

"Palmer ton North lias no seaport within its city boundaries lull it ha.= an airport of no mean dimensions and character, considered one of the best if not the best in New Zealand. During Ist voir the numbers of persons arriving and de-nrling to and from leading Not Zealand airports wove a.s Tollo.v: —Wellington. 27.473: Blenheim, 21.093: Nelson, 9 J (!G; Palmerston. 8911 : Gisborne. 7898; Napier. 7337; Christchurch, G4S7; Auckland. 3307.

"Leaving mere figures out of the pic lire Palmerston North lias other claims to greatness. Aon have cherry blossom trees which are famed throughout the country. vmi have in close nroxim-tv Alasscy College, which was founded in 1926 and is an outstanding seat of agricultural knowledge. its total farm nig area. T believe. being nearly 1000 acres, and you have your \. and P. Shows which, being such notable events. consequently draw crowds to your city. CITY CONGRATULATED. ‘'Eurllier,” proceeded . Captain Holm. "one ol your representative's, Air Al. A. Elicit, is now chairman oi the". Wellington Harbour Board, and I wish to congratulate Palmerston North on the appointment, which is a popular one in Wellington and augurs well lor the co-ordination and cooperation between Hie producers of the country and the services ol tile seaport, without which the commercial prestige of this provinie cannot he sustained. And last, but- not least. you have a live and efficient Chamber of Commerce which must of necessity do most of its work in a quiet and unobtrusive manner, but which, nevertheless, safeguards the commercial interests of the city and the interests of its members.”

Tn the course of his reply, the Alayor pointed out that there had been a. 2-» per cent. increase in the citv’s population since the census of 1926 up to that of i'T3O. and that in nine years the number of dwellings had increased from 48-1-8 to 5718. an increase of 900. The City Council, with its trading concerns. was the largest business undertaking in the citv anil he did not think there was a local authority in New Zealand e°ut''olling greater business undertakings than the Palmerston North Ci f v Council. Alore than half ol the road* with in the e : tv had now been sealed .and the greater part of this work 1 1 ■'d Uomi done out of revenue. Tt would not 1m lone before all Urn thickly populated roads were tar-coaled.