PROGRESS LEAGUE.

Northern Advocate, 12 November 1923, Page 7

PROGRESS LEAGUE.

BAY OF ISLANDS INCLUDED. MEETING AT RUSSELL. Rojrescntatives of the Whangarei Branch of the North Auckland Progress League, consisting of Messrs D. A. McLean (president), R. H. Allan (vice-president), and A. T. Brainsby .'secretary), held a meeting at Russell in the Public Hall on Thursday night to place before the residents the objects and aims of the League. The chairman of the Russell Town Board occupied the chair and introduced the representatives. Mr McLean briefly put forward the League's programme and said it was intended -,hat the whole of the nine counties of North Auckland should cooperate in making the North known. It had grievously suffered in the past through not having its great scenic at-tractions,-medicinal hot springs, grand climate, and great possibilities for pastoral and agricultural pursuits made worthily and widely known. Mr McLean stressed the importance of such a League fjr North Auckland. He alluded to the fact that the Canterbury Progress League not only saw to the proper and scientific advertising of its district, but also kept an alert watch over the varied public interests and possibilities of Canterbury. Such an organisation was needed in North Auckland, and the Progress League was intended to supply the want.

The next speaker, Mr Allan, stressed the point that this is an advertising age and ii North Auckland did not advertise it would be assumed that the North had nothing worth advertising. In this respect casual and sectional advertisements cost a lot more money than was necessary and tended to "boosting," and might omit some of the chief resources and attractions. In the New Zealand Government booklet prepared for next year's Empire Exhibition North Auckland was barely mentioned. Not one view of or refer ence to itf historic places and scenic beauties did the book contain. The map printed in it showed no ra : l connection for passenger trains between Auckland and Kaikdhe, though thai township was the centre of some of the richest land in the Dominion, and was only five miles away from the Ngawha hot springs. There were only two othei 1 springs in the world with the same properties as these—one in the Austrian Tyrol and the other in Brazil. Important and historic places like Russell, Whangarei, Rawene and Kaitaia were not on the map at all.

Mr Brainsby urged the development of the North Auckland Progress League because it was the only way of bringing together in effective cooperation all who wished to see North Auckland come into its own. It was strictly a non-political body, and as such wou.d carry great weight in any steps it took to protect or expand the interests of the North. The League, by the co operation of many, at a very small individual cost, could make North Auckland familiar and attractive to the very settlers and tourists it wanted: it could maintain a North Auckland information bureau, prepare and circulate dependable information, and constantly represent Northern interests and bring pressure to bear in any direction when the North was handicapped or undeveloped. I The chairman on the conclusion of the speeches supported the idea of the League and asked for the opinion of i the meeting. Mr A. E. Bisset favoured the aims of the League and proposed that those present form a branch in Russell. Mr A. E. Neumann in seconding the motion sai'.l that unity and good comradeship was essential amongst the people of North Auckland if they wanted to remedy the slackness of the past. The proposal was carried unanimously, and Messrs A. E. Bisset, T. R. | Clow, J. Wright, E. Arlide, and A. E. j Neumann were elected a committee to { form the branch. j Votes of thanks to the visitors and j the chairman concluded a most interesting evening.

Rain, hail, snow, swollen rivers, fierce winds, and occasional bursts of sunshine have been the lot of runholders in the Ashburton Gorge district of late (remarks the "Guardian"). Mr C, Branigan, Government Stock Inspector, who has returned to Ashburton from a trip through the district, states that the runholders are facing the unsettled conditions and adversities quite philosophically. Lambing has just commenced, and it is impossible to give any indication of the state of things in this direction. The stock generally are faring well, and there is now plen;y of nice spring feed.