"PAROCHIAL" GANTERBURY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17497, 15 June 1920, Page 4

"PAROCHIAL" GANTERBURY

HAH.WAY DEVELOPMENT.

GBIECI&Jtf FEOM BLENHEIM. [bv irmiGwra.—piiess associatios.] BLENHEIM, Monday. Strong words regarding the attitude taken tip by the Canterbury Progress Leiigne in th* matter of railway construction were used at the animal meeting of the South Island Main Trunk League. Members remarked that the Canterbury League was reducing Canterbury to tha level of the dog in the manger, and the effect on publio opinion throughout tha Dominion relating to pubEc works development was hardly advantageous to pouthem provinces. On tie motion of the newly-elected president, Mr. E. H. Penny, the following resolution- was adopted for circulation throughout New Zealand;—" This league is filled with astonishment and indignation at the narrow mindednesii and parochialism displayed by the Cantierbury Progress League in refusing to co-operate with the people of. Marlborough in urging the claims of the Soutk' Island Main, ', Trunk lines; regards . the attempt to secure exclusive preference to the.; Otira tunnel as ■ more unjustifiable, *' because the provision " already made T:

and" promised for the tunnel assures completion of -that •work in the near • future, and this undertaking could not. have been prejudiced by the support to a larger project. Moreover, our league considers it has been treated in cavalier fashion by the Canterbury league, inasmuch as it was always able to count on the co-operation of Canterbury in past years. This league trusts that the selfishness of the Canterbury League will be noted throughout New Zealand, and widely condemned as being contrary to the best interests of tbe cotmtry in the matter of .public works development."

CAKTESBUBY LEAGUE'S REPLY. ' DENIAL' OF M PAROCHIALISM."' [BT telegraph.— association.] . CJIRTSTCHURCH. Monday. With reference to the Blenheim telegram regarding the Canterbr.iy Progress League, Mr. A. G. Henderson., vice-presi-dent of the league, said that perhaps at the heart ,of the Blenheim resolution war the activity of the Wellington Central Progress League, which had extended its district to include Marlborough, Nelson, and .pari of the West Coast, 'and might desire to "put a spoke in Canterbury's wheeL" The Canterbury league wanted to sea the South Island Main Trunk line completed. Mr. Henderson said its support to the West Coast line did not mean that it would not support the' completion of the East Coast line. There was no "dog-in-the-manger" attitude or parochialism about the Canterbury League.