South Islanders Feel More Hopeful

Northern Advocate, 3 December 1947, Page 5

South Islanders Feel More Hopeful

. INVERCARGILL, Wed. (P.A.)—The fifth annual conference of South Island local bodies opened this morning. The president (Mr E. H. Andrews, Christchurch) said he believed that it was to some extent due to the formation of the association that the tide had turned and that the South Island was coming back into its own.

“Population is coming back to the south slowly and certainly." he said. “It has been rather concentrated so far. Nevertheless it is encouraging to find the South Island attracting many people.” Mr Andrews said the association was concerned about the trend in immigration.

It seemed that the majority of immigrants were being placed in the North Island. Mr J. R. Hanan, M.P. for Invercargill, said he deplored the whittling away of the powers of local bodies. The process had been going on possibly for 30 years. Centralisation, he declared, was the enemy of democracy. “That is what you must fight and we South Island members must fight as well,” he said.

“It is the real issue in the future of the South Island.”

The Hon. T. F. Doyle said the South Island and Southland in particular could be the powerhouse of New Zealand.

The reason why the North Island was twice as heavily populated as the South Island could be the subject of investigation by the conference.