OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 29

OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE.

The executive meeting of the Otago Expansion League was held on Wednesday, Mr A. Batngate presiding. Included in the correspondence was a letter from the Under-seeretary of Lands detailing tho conditions under which compulsory afforestation is now being carried out on the Otago pastoral runs. While the committee is pleased to see the interest taken in this direction by the authorities, it still considers that more should be done in tho way of publio planting by the Government, 'and suggestions in that direction will bo submitted to the Minister for consideration. The question of land tenures advocated by the league and the Chamber of Commerce was also received, and tho Prime Minister will bo asked to give effect to the finebng of the Lands Committee last session, lhe president reported the result of the conference with kindred societies held recently, and it was resolved that the united committees set up should be invited to immediately take up the question of the abnormal increase in railway rates recently gazetted and urged to take vigorous steps to immediately protest against their enforcement. The proposed sale of the Arrowtown Hospital buildings was reported, and the executive decided that the views of the Queenstown branch be ascertained, and, if necessary, a protest lodged in the proper quarter against the sale of a valuable site for a soldiers' sanatorium. _ As this was the final meeting for the year the president extended to the members'the customary greetings, and expressed the sincere hone that in the coming year we might as a nation secure the objects for which we have fought and suffered through three years.