EXPANSION LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17276, 27 September 1919, Page 11

EXPANSION LEAGUE.

PROPOSAL FOR AUCKLAND. development of province. SOUTHERN BENEFITS QUOTED The formation of an Expansion League, to assist in the development of the Auckland Province, was advocated yesterday by Mr. W. Stuart Wilson, of Wellington, who is on a health-recruiting visit to Auckland.

I.ti. Wilson was one of the founders of the tago Expansion League, and a member of the executive of that body until he removed to Wellington. He believes firmly in the people taking a keen interest in their own affairs, and is convinced, in view of his experience of expansion and development leagues in tho South Island, that this is the means by which the public may assist the Government in bringing about the much needed' development of our resources and industries. Speaking of the formation of the present leagues in the South Island, Mr. Wilson said in 1912 a few business men met in JJunedin and formed the Hundred Thousand League. This title was later changed to the Dunedin Expansion League, and subsequently to the Otago Expansion League, ihe league had been actively interested in every kind of progressive movement in Otago, more especially the development of hydro-electric power and the fostering of agriculture in various wavs. « recent decision of the Government to start experimental farms and open experimental areas in Otago, was directly due 10 the *'. ea S ,le ' s representations. • One important movement started bv the Otago League was the introduction of the Boys . Agricultural Club petitions, on the lines cf those carried on so successfully during the last eight years in the United State*.

Hydroelectric Power Scheme. The activities of the league were beet illustrated by the fact that it had educated the people of Otago to the necessity of harnessing the water power of the province. A meeting of local bodies, representative of the whole of Otago, recently decided to raise £2000 to cover the cost Use preliminary work, Sir Joseph Ward having assured the league that it would f>3 possible to get '£1,000,000 for developing the water power of .Otago. Some tune after the start of the Otago League, said Mr. Wilson, a similar league was formed in Invercargill, and it became the most active organisation of the kind in New Zealand. Ihis league was also in a position to secure £1,000,000 to develop the water power of Southland, and so great was the feeling in favour of such a project that the league had already sold a larsje amount of prospective power. Speaking of other districts which had talcen up this forward movement, Mr. Wilson said that Mr. J. Craigie, M.P. for Timaru, had been very successful in forming a South Canterbury Development League, which was already doing good work, while the Canterbury Progress League, with head offices in Christcliurch, had now become firmly established. Assistance to Members ot Parliament, " A movement has been started in Wellington to form a league for the province," continued Mr. Wilson, " and it seems to me it would result in great benefit to the whole of the Dominion if a similar league were started in the Auckland Province. All these leagues working for the same object must eventually be a great factor in helping the Government to solve the many problems now facing it." t The work now being done by the Auckland Hydro-electric League was mentioned by Mr. Wilson, who said this league could easily throw in its lot. with the proposed larger body, its members providing a committee to advise on the large and important question of hydro-electrio power. Members of Parliament who were membens of the present leagues had told him that in taking part in the work of these bodies they obtained first-hand information on many of the problems with which they had to deal, such as they could not get in any other way. Auckland's Undeveloped Areas. Dealing with the advantages to be derived from such a league, Mr. Wilson said ha had been informed that there were 10,000,000 acres of undeveloped land in the province. This was 'one of the problems with which a league could begin at once, encouraging agriculture by means of the boys' agriculture scheme, which would more than doable the productivity of the soil in a very few years. This, he said, had been amply proved by the magnificent results obtained in the United States, giving as an instance one area -where the corn crop of 29,000,000 bushels had bean increased to 65,000,000 within a very short period. A league comprising all the local bodies of the province working with private citizens would have better results than those attained by the present methods. The establishment of experimental farms to determine the best methods of profitably •working the gum lands of the North, the reading of the province to meet the needs of the settlers, particularly in regard to the growth of motor traction, and the linking up of the principal waterways by means of the proposed canals were matters which Mr. Wilson thought could best be dealt with by an expansion league, while there were many needed reforms vital to the farmer which such a body could the more readily bring within the possibility of realisation owing to its representative character and the weight of public opinion it wonld carry with it. United Action Imperative. " United action is imperative if the province is to be developed in a business- | like way," said Mr. Wilson. " Co-opera- j tive effort will get the best results, and those attained by the Otago and Southland Leagues is proof beyond doubt of j the value of such organisations." ! He .mentioned that the idea of the Ex- j pansion League in Duuedin was taken from the Commerce and Rotary Clubs, I which " boost " cities and districts all! over America. He expressed the opinion j that, as the movement had widespread ap- 1 proval in the United States, had been taken up with enthusiasm in Sydney, and had shown results in the South Island, the formation of an expansion league in the North woul(i do more to advance the interests of the Auckland Province than anything vet attempted. He recommended the constitution of the Otago Expansion League to any new leagues starting, saying it was one. which might with advantage be used throughout the British Empire for development on sound scientific lines

In conclusion. Mr. Wilson said he was looking forward to the day when the whole of New Zealand would be linked up by leagues of the kind suggested. Annual conferences of such bodies would be in a position to give practical help to the Government and local bodies, for the movement would really bring the mass of the people in to help in forwarding the progress and development of the country.