MAYOR’S WELCOME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 27 November 1942, Page 2

MAYOR’S WELCOME

TRIBUTE TO MR F. H. NEWMAN THREE DISTRICTS WITH COMMON OBJECTIVE

The Mayor oi Nelson (Mr E. R. Neale) extended a welcome to Nelson to all delegates. From the attendance he thought that practically every body which had been invited to send representatives. must have accepted the invitation. The idea of holding the conference had originated with Mr F. H. Newman, then chairman of the Murchison County Council. This council had sponsored the suggestion and had carried out the preliminary work in connection with it. It must be a source of great satisfaction to the Murchison County Council and to Mr Newman today to see that the idea had been so enthusiastically taken up. It was probable, said Mr Neale, that the conference was unique as far as this part of New Zealand was concerned. and possibly for any part of the country, in that three separate districts were meeting with the object of finding the best way of forwarding progress and interests of their whole section of the island. Whatever arose out of the conference, he considered that nothing but good would come of it. Some of the benefits might be indirect or not immediately apparent, but the foundations which were laid to-day should, in time, be of benefit to the whole district. It must be clearly understood that when selecting subjects for discussion at the conference, small domestic matters not concerning the whole district should not be brought up. There could not be a great many subjects which were of vital interest to all three districts, but some matters might be dealt with, which, because they were of great direct value to two of the districts might materially affect the third, and he hoped that the third district concerned would lend its support to any such project. PLANS FOR AFTER THE WAR To avoid any possible misunderstanding, Mr Neale emphasised that it was not the intention of the conference to urge the Government to take up any major works at the present time. The Government had to provide for well-thought-out plans for the absorption of many thousands of men as quickly and beneficially as possible into civil life when they returned from the war. The Rehabilitation Board had been set up to try to grapple with this problem, and 23 rehabilitation committees were being formed throughout New Zealand to act as advisory committees to the main board. Some time ago the board had asked the General Manager of the New Zealand Railways to submit particulars of any works which it might be desirable to consider after the war. The line affecting this district was not included in the list submitted. The northern part of the South Island had in the past had the unfortunate experience of being left up in the air when questions of major developments were being considered. Mr Neale cited th.e instance of the railways as an example of the necessity of having all the details of any proposed schemes ready to place before the boards. POSSIBILITIES OF CO-OPERATION The possibilities of co-operation were very great, said Mr Neale. A few years ago it had been a long, dreary journey between Nelson and Blenheim and the Coast, and feeling between some of the districts had not always been of the friendliest. All that had now disappeared largely because of the ease of communication, resulting in more frequent interchange of visits between sporting bodies and the people of the districts generally. This had tended to overcome unpleasantness and suspicion. When considering a hydroelectric scheme some 22 years ago, representatives of the Nelson and Marlborough provinces had gone as far as visiting Lake Rotoroa together to discuss its possibilities. Local bodies of both provinces had been blamed for not having gone ahead with the scheme, but the terms which the Government had laid down then had been utterly beyond reach. Mr Neale said he believed that had they had the weight behind them then and gone ahead, this part of the island might now have been enjoying advantages which other districts already had. The idea of the conference was an extension of the Progress League idea, but what was needed was not a league to deal with matters concerning one district. but a body to press the claims of the whole of the northern end of the island. In view of the geographical position of the districts, which had no rail communication with the outside world as most other large districts had. there were many proposals which could be advanced. Unity was strength, and by co-operation much might be accomplished.