OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 15

OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE.

The monthly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Otago Expansion League was held on Wednesday evening, Mr L. D. Ritchie (vice-president) presiding, owing to the absence from the city of Mr 8. B. Macdonald. The members present were Messrs H. M’Dowall Smith, A. P. Aldridge, V. Jacobs, E, Tamblyn, D. Tannock, and J. Y. Love. A letter was read from th e Buller Progress League suggesting Tuesday, May 1, as a suitable date for the opening of the annual conference of South Island leagues and, if the date proposed were suitable, inviting the league to forward remits and nominate delegates ,to attend the meeting in Westport. It was resolved thM a special meeting of the executive be called for Tuesday, April 3, to discuss remits and appoinfe delegates. The vexed question of tourist traffic wag dealt with in voluminous correspondence from various sources, comprising copies of northern complaints, the report of a committee of thg Canterbury Progress League, and several suggestions from different parts of the country as to methods of improvement The general opinion of members was in agreement with the published reports that the trouble was further afield than the Government tourist offices in the Dominion, and that, on the whole, the department made the utmost use of the time at the disposal of oversea visitors. The remedy must be sought at the fountain head of the traffic, especially in Australia and in America. The amount of time allowed by most travelllers was considered insufficient to cover the main resorts, and until a sufficiently regular steamer service was established between th e South island and Melbourne the South Island would be seriously handicappped. Amongst the suggestions made was a recommendation that the advertisement of the fact that the Melbourne steamer would call at Milford was not sufficiently stressed in. the Australian papers, the belief beino expressed that wider publicity would greatly increase the number of passengers. Interesting reports from the Otago Electric Power Board on th e possibility of _ supplying the Owaka and Strath-laieri-Mamototo- districts with power were received. The position is now that the local authorities must take the necessary steps to secur e public approval by the circulation of a petition praying for the inclusion of these districts within the boards inner area. The executive trusts that a sufficient number of consumers may be enrolled to enable an early introduction of this modern amenity to be undertaken. The official opening of the railway extension to Roxburgh was notified, and representatives of the league will be present on that occasion, as this marks the completion of a work which has been advocated for many years. That great interest is being displayed in the north oyer the tourist controversy was made plain by the receipt of two letters from Auckland residents offering their services a s agents of the league prepared to board steamers and advise passengers as to how and when to reach the many South Island resorts The experience of a previous venture along these lines, however, was such as to prejudice the executive against it, and the offers will not be entertained. „ Further discussion on the project of Back to Dunedin ’’ took place, and it was resolved to meet other interested Parties and go further into the possibilities of the nroiect