SOUTHLAND LEAGUE

Southland Times, Issue 17679, 17 June 1914, Page 7

SOUTHLAND LEAGUE

PUBLIC MEETING ON THURSDAY. On Thursday evening: a public meeting win be held for the 'purpose of forming an Invercargill branch of the Southland League -and an earnest appeal Is made to loyal residents for public interest and support. The objects, alms and constitution of tfie League will be-fully explained and the lines upon which the League hopes to operate will be clearly Indicated.. The preliminaries for thoroughly establishing the Southland League as a progressive society have all been arranged and it now rests with the public as to whether or not the League Is to bo a success from Its inception— BDd success mainly depends upon a large membership. The League has received the warmest encouragement from the country districts and the principles upon which the constitution is founded provide for representation on the council for town and country upon an equitable basis. There Is every reason to believe that the meeting for the establishment of the Invercargill branch will be largelyattended and it is anticipated that the appeal for membership will receive a ready response. No stronger cause for public support has ever been advanced and the prospects of the development of the Southland League as the most forward movement yet inaugurated in this province are eminently satisfactory. "Will Southland respond to the call? That question has already been answered by Otautau at the League’s first public meeting. It now only remains for the loyal residents of Invercargill to reply on behalf of this town. The issue is left to Thursday’s meeting with the utmost confidence in the result.

THE SOUTHLAND LEAGUE. ITS BRIEF BRIGHT HISTORY. HOW IT WAS FORMED. SUCCESS OF THE ORGANISATION. Visitors to the Winter Show will have placed prominently tefore them the reasons why they should give their support to the Southland League, a body the aims and objects of which are so wide that they admit to membership people In every walk of life, the sole proviso seemingly being that they are loyal Southlanders and are prepared to help the League so that the league may In turn help the province The brief history of the league is of singular interest in that the steps taken save been deliberate and decided; they lave been always forward, and they have brought the organisation into the prominence its birthright entitles It to. The reason for this steady and unhesitating forward march Is not hard to find. It Is that the founders of the League have bnilt a sturdy foundation upon which it Is now possible to build a potential superstructure without fear of collapse. Even in the past ten or twelve days the 'League has taken great strides, and the near future promises still greater developments as the work of organisation goes on. Last Friday a big branch was formed at Otautau. the centre of a section of Southland in which natives of the province take pride and with which visitors are profoundly impressed. On Thursday evening a meeting will he held In Invercargill for the purpose of forming a local branch; on Monday a similar meeting will be held at Gore, and on Tuesdav residents of Mataura and the surrounding districts will have an opportunity to give their approval of the League’s aims in concrete expression at a meeting set down to take place there cn tliat evening. The real history of fhe Southland League dates back to February 3 when a large and influential deputation waited on Mr W. U>. Hunt and asked him to consent to his nomination as president of the League, which was then in prospect. Mr Hunt consented, and it was accordingly decided to convene a public meeting for February 17 for the purpose of considering the question of a League, it being clearly understood that this should be entirely free from any action taken in the past. On February 17 a large gathering of business men assembled in the Town Hall summoned by circulars in which it was stated that the time was opportune for taking active steps and that meeting unanimously resolved —“That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that a progressive society be formed and a committee be appointed to draw up a constitution for consideration at a future meeting. In ten days the committee set up for the purpose had prepared a draft constitution which was, on February 27. referred to a committee of solicitors who were commissioned to re-draft it into legal form. On March 31 the constitution was adopted by a public meeting. Since that time the work of organising has gone on rapidly and in place of a provisional council at the he*acl of affairs the governing body of the League is today made up of a body of gentlemen among whom are several who have been duly appointed by various representative bodies. At each successive meeting new representatives take their seats at the council table, and in addition to gathering strong support from every corner of the province the League i-- exciting enormous interest among all classes of the community.

FAKM KF’.S API'P.UVM

IMF; I.F.VOUE AND OTHKII MATTKKS. There m plenty of evidence that the Southland League is being made a conc»rn of considerable intercs r t<» farmers, an''! on every hand nrogre.t.-si ve agriculturists and pastoralids are giving unreserved approval to the aims that of the league. "I think that it is high time that Southland did something of the kind, and 1 believe that nothing,bui good v.-Ul come of the oragnisation.” said Air David Marshall, of Waianiwa. when approached by a reporter. He ]>cinled out that an enormous amount of benefit had been gained in other districts by similar agencies, which, he was convinced, had far more weight that small railway leaguse and progressive association =, the real effect of which was to prevent the settlers from getting anything because their voices were not raised in unison. The multiplicity "f such organisations all seeking different objects provided an excuse for tiios • in authority imt to grant their re>it>".-ts. ' r his divergence of purpose would, n doubt, make itself felt in th. I.oic;:- v ‘"i r.-pra.-s. Nt at i ves Of the numerou- ;;rra!icr borilf s were elected, bur hr i.e]i.-'e,i 'hat the safest plan for the t.eague I" ••'dmi wedd be to defer making . Tn""U)';ii i< ns m connection w’th an- railway construction until the people whose districts were to t>f, served by the proposed lines were unanimous us to ri'iiT- etc,, and lie believed that the ppariif would perform a very useful purpose were it to arbi-3-ate between the factions am’, secure unanimity between them. One" the various striving factions had been brought {together the League t ouid then use its effort- toward the consummation of their request-. Mr Marshall said teat he had no doubt that there were many things affecting the agricultural community to which the League could and wggld lend its assistance There was, for instance, the matter of drainage. Then, as to the proposal of the Government to take over the main arterial roads, there was something to t*- said. He did not know that the Government could maintain the roads any cheaper under the system proposed than they were doing under the local bodies, but one tiling was certain and that was that the roads could not be adequately maintained at the expense of tlie small ratepayer. That was impossible. and this conviction suggested anotbe- matter. All along he had been of opinion that the moat equitable means ot deriving money for the maintenance of public roads would be a tax on motor tyres, and he did not think that the manufacturers would raise the slightest obiccrion to it. There was no doubt that the cars were here and would continue to lie here, and the roads would tavc ;o he made better for them. It was perfectly clear that something would have to b" done, and he was of opinion that the League would be able to exercise great influence in the matter. The only thing about which he had any ■misgivings was that the great number of associations would have the effect of Jjamecri r.r *he. League. but it was possible tint, tire province could do without a r.’’ cD rn-my of them, and when once the r -ciiu came to look to the League as tU" ri-oper body to take action they ■word ! lend their sympathy to it. He thought that a good deal could be done ■trith. regard to shipping, as he did not think that Bluff had a fair chance, particularly with regard to dairy produce. £i. b-r-ilcved. too, that Dunedin was looking on the port of Bluff with Jasioosy, hut united effort on the part of thejjeo-