NELSON PROGRESS LEAGUE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 1 September 1923, Page 4

NELSON PROGRESS LEAGUE

THE PRESENT POSITION

With a view to ascertaining what was tiie position of the Nelson Progress league, which has been in course of establishment, a 'Mail representative approached the Interim Secretary (Air E. R. Neale) yesterday. The secretary stated that a great deal of unavoidable delay had been experienced originally through the authority for local bodied to contribute, having been struck out of the Empowering Act when first inserted. That having been rectified at the end of the following session, the League then experienced much further delay through the failure of the various bodies approached to signify their intentions and their willingness to contribute or other-, wise, and to what extent. A particularly pleasing feature had been the promptness and liberality of the response from Motueka, where with some reason one might have expected a little indifference to the League. The

Motueka Borough Council had from the first expressed _ its approval of. the League and its intention of confributings on the basis proposed, viz: 1/-. in the £IOOO canital value (Government valuation). Motueka Borough’s contribution on this basis,is understood to be between £3O and £4O. .jsvhiclj is in marked con-

trast to the Nelsqn City Council’s proposed contribution of £5 or £lO. The Motueka Harbour Board also took up the matter enthusiastically and at once forwarded its cheque for £lO as a donation. This spirit of willing .and practical co-oneration from .Motueka had been particularly gratifying to the promotei’3. The Nelson Harbour Board was also , a most enthsusiastic supporter and had of its own accord convened a conference of adjacent local bodies to discuss the matter of contribution. The Waimea County Council,' Which would, on the proposed basis be the largest contributor and have the largest representation, bad expressed its approval and its willingness to contribute its fair quota. The City Council on the other hand had been most indifferent and had been one cf the chief causes in holding the matter up. It was essential > that an idea of the available funds should be secured, as without sufficient funds the League would be unable to carry out the necessary campaigns and would be no Briber forward than the Chamber of (<:mmerce whose activities in this direction were so restricted owing to back of finance. Hence the decisions of the City Council and Waimea County Council, as the largest proposed contributors, were of paramount importance. The City Council had been playing with the matter for months, but it was now pi\ yesed to go ahead without waiting any longer witli those bodies who had signified their intention of joining. These comprise: Motueka Borough Council, Motueka Harbour Board, Nelson Harbour Board, Stoke Progressive Association, Nelson Jockey Club, Nelson Trotting Club, Nelson Automobile Association, Nelson Rugby Union, Nelson Chamber of Commerce, Waimea County Council, and Nelson Horticultural Society. Several of the organisations approached have iot stated their intentions, among these l e-

iug Murchison, Takaka- and Collingiv-iod County and Richmond Borough Councils. Recently the secretary stated he had received a copy of the annual statement of the Southland League run on similar lines, and noticed that the local bodies 1 there contributed £570 for the year, j headed by the Bluff Harbour Board i £2OO and ‘ Invercargill Borough Council j £IOO. Tiie Canterbury League, of | course, was recognised as a very p woi- | ful body,, and as a member of the -e.ie.it | Westland Exhibition delegation remaik- ! ed, it is “the most influential body m j Canterbury.” The formation of' the . Nelson League on the proposed basis j was unanimously approved oy the mst local bodies’ conference, at which s >ery ! local body in the district was ropie- ! sented, and the promoters are quite confident that a live League with sufiv.iei.f funds behind it, can do art immerse , amount of good work for the district. I ! .