HARBOUR BRIDGE NEARER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 642, 19 April 1929, Page 10

HARBOUR BRIDGE NEARER

ASSOCIATION’S HOPE MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT “The Harbour Bridge Association has grown so fast that it has come to be looked upon as a power in the land,’* said Mr. G. O’Halloran, acting-chairman, in moving the adoption of the report at last evening’s meeting of the association. I THINK the report shows a year’s work of which we may well feel proud.” said Mr. O'Hallorau. “W e are not as we have beeu called, a band of visionary idealists. W e are working on a scheme which we believe to be eminently practicable, from information which we believe to be absolutely sound, and because of that belief we want our scheme fully investigated by everyone who is interested in it. “We want as much public support as we can get, and I must say that I believe we are slowly educating the people to support us. I would like t.o take this opportunity of reminding members of Parliament and Ministers of the Crown who lave made us promises in the past of the old saying, ‘Hope deferred niaketh the heart sick.’ ”

THE YEARS WORK The report on the year’s work said that the most important part had been the sending of a deputation to Parliament with a petition containing 27.000 signatures. This deputation had been so successful that Cabinet had allocated £SO) for preliminary investigation work on the proposed site of the bridge. During the year, letters had been sent to all members of Parliament. Mayors, and other heads of local bodies and prominent business men throughout the country, requesting their interest in and support for the project. The membership was increasing so rapidly that over 100 new members were being enrolled every month. The report thanked the following members for their work: Messrs. E. G. Skeates, G. O’Hallorau, A. Harris, R. H. Greville, R. F. Moore. O. Moller. A. P. Hopkins, and F. E. Powell, and Mrs. J. B. Tonar, Mrs. J. W. McLaughlin. and Mrs. R. Martin. The statement of receipts and payments for the year showed a total expenditure of £338 4s lOd, and an income of £3SS Is id, thus giving a credit balance of £l9 16s 9d. In seconding the adoption of the report. Air. A. Harris told the meeting that he had that afternoou received a telegram from the Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, in answer to an inquiry" he had made. The telegram said that Cabinet had set up a special committee to discuss the departmental inquiry concerning the use of the £SOO voted by Parliament, and that the committee would meet for the first time this morning. The report was adopted without further discussion, and the meeting proceeded to elect officers for the en suing year. Mr. R. H. Greville, on being nominated for president, was elected unopposed, and took the chair for tlie remainder of 1 the meeting. He said that, after being something of a joke for a year or two, the association had now become a reality, and the business men of Auckfand were beginning to sit up and take notice. BRIDGE VERY NEAR “There is a great deal of work to be done,” be said, “but we should be cheered by the fact that the present Government is favourable to the bridge movement, and will help us toward this great achievement. I also have had a communication from the Government, and I think that the bridge is very much nearer than the people of Auckland think—perhaps even nearer than many" of the members of the association think.” During the discussion on general business at the end of the meeting. Mr. G. Large moved that all nominees for positions on local bodies should be approached for the purpose of discovering their feeling toward the harbour bridge project. This notion was carried, and later the chairman, announced that it was the intention of the committee, when these details w’ere known, to announce publicly the candidate whom the association supported, and to work for these candidates at the local body elections. The following is the result of the election of officers: Patron, Mr. E. Aldridge. Mayor of Devonport; president. Mr. R. H. Greville; vicepresident, Mr. G. O’Halloran; hon. engineers, Mr. R. F. Moore and Mr. S. W. Jones; auditor, Mr. P. J. Dawson; hon. solicitor, Air. C. H. N. Wills: secretary and treasurer, Captain C. G. Ashdowne; committee, Alesdames J. B. Tonar and J. W. McLaughlin. Messrs. W. Wallace. A. At. Laing. A. Harris, ALP.. T. Bloodwortli, E. T! Pot ter. Alan S. Brown, F. Charman. Archibald Wilson, A. P. Hopkins, P. Billett, J. B. Tonar, A. W. Marks. At. Blampied, R. Martin. H. Bell-Booth. John McDonald. C. H. Johnston. Georg© Creamer. T. C. Pow. F. W. Grigg, W. Parkinson. F. E. Powell, and G. Large.

In addition to this committee, all local bodies in and about Auckland will be invited to appoint representatives. who will automatically become committee members. At the end «.f last evening’s meeting 128 new members were elected.