THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1918. MR CRAIGIE’S SOUTH CANTERBURY DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 7672, 19 January 1918, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1918. MR CRAIGIE’S SOUTH CANTERBURY DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE.

Vncliave carefully read Mr-Craigie's, letter on the-, above subject, and we congratulate him most cordiaUy on his effort. A prophet has no honours in his town, '.but wc shall !">!<-; surprised >f the concrete iformv of expression of 11. u public bodiasj of. South Canterbury does not follow All - Cra'igic's 'lead. Five thousand milfs of land with, twenty thousand people, 01 four to the. stf.uuro' mile, is the great rod light in the German eydw -\\lieu Jie. tail Us about the British Empire. The German philosopher, who reduces everything; to logic, wa.n'tis lo ' know why .loh'ul should fb ,'his iHag over Ike; \rjch. payts of the worlds and people Ot with four (o the square mile. That is one of ■ the causes of the present war.i fu passing it is, noteworthy tliat John during the present war has ta,ptui'ed over a millions square mile-s of new territory, and I lie t;i'eat question oi to-day is what is l\ a going lo do with it. Belgium has tho densest population of I European countries, wtlif.over seven liundrcid to the square; mile. Mountains included, our population; An al'.onl (wo and n half lo 1 lie square mile. We ought to be ashamed of it, bint iife happens to-, bo nobodyi/K business to attend to trivial nrntter of this kind. Wlhmi ' men of the stamp of Mr Craigie come along to remind ns of tour responsibilities as trustees mi n /."Virions gi!'( a;id ybauitage, j[ is ■our : duty to sM up :i/nd I'oSisider the matter. The comparison lie makes between the .progress of (lie, North Tsi and and dial or (h,. .Sou(li islam! is worthy (jf e'ljisidfinUoii. Our.morihern' ■ neighbour has gone ahead by leans and bounds'. The cause of bis so 'doing is etotiroly a matter pf laud

settlements. Tin' (,'iuvvu Lands; that have hi-i'M Uiiowi, upon for settlement there durijig the hisl{ twenty' years ;iro Mil- reasons for the North island's prosperity- The, Crown Lands of the; SonMi island are mosiiy mountain loos ml high pastoral lands. Vf.t even these, could have been dealt, wilii in ii. manner that would have nieaiii. population and prosperity foi' lis in South tanttUr bury. As run after run in South Canterbury runs the courso o! its lease, it lias been practically nobody's lousiness to elosely examine its possibility for' 'closer settlement. One of Hie functions 'of a South Canterbury Development; League would he 1o nseeilain I hi; (laic oi the expiry of (he lease on every ruri, aind iusLst on its'being dealt wiilll lit) 1 interests of expansion of set.Ument. Teniukn, should be the, hub of one of the finest of dairying districts hi , ('ho Houfh Island. Kvery inch ott Ihic 1 soil between the railway lino and'the sea is absolutely dairy farm land. It is worth considerably more for cows 11nnn for | she,ep a'nd whoa't> The me|;d is for closer settlement. The League, with la branch at Tcmnka, would urge on 111.' Government the need to acquire ,< he rich la'p.ids close toj the muka for closer settlement for dairyins and we doubt if the Government , w jji e v er he abk; to buy lliis land cheaper than . at the, jpxctsenl moment. Away from Temuka, round the foot-hills from the Rangiitata to thjo YVailaki, (here are strci.ches of biuf holdings capable of closer .settlement. Why have Ihey nut been cut up '! Simply because it "" is nr/lfody'.'s business to agitate in this 'direction. Development of railways ib'.y a line, along tilt foot-hills would' mean untold prosperity to Solicit Canterbury. In America it is common for a town or a district to, start a thirty, forty, or a hundred thousand League, the object simply 1 icing to from their town or district. Let us do the same for South Canterbury, and incidentally for Temuka and Gei'aldine. We 'hope. ¥r Craigie's admirahjp letter will boar fruit, and 'that lio wiW get the support taf ail local ibodtes in South jCanterlmry in organising liis league