NORTHERN M.P.’S ON TOUR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16411, 27 April 1921, Page 2

NORTHERN M.P.’S ON TOUR.

VISIT TO SOUTH ISLAND. [From Our Cobresponpent.l KAIKOURA, April 26. North Island members of the Reform Party, who are visiting various centres in the South Island, motored through to Kaikoura this evening. The party that arrived from Blenheim to-night includes Messrs R. I'. Bollard, F. Kockly, A. Haw ken and {Sir George Hunter, Messrs T. D. Burnett, and A Hamilton, accompanied by Mr D. Jones and members of the Atari borough Progress Teague. They were met in Kaikoura. by Air P. I!. Climie, organiser of the Cauterburv Progress League, Messrs G. Forbes, AT.P‘, M. L. Reading, editor of t.he Lyttelton Times,” and At- UKcano, editor of the Christchurch “ Press. *’ In Christchurch tint party will be joined bv Alessrs J. Bitchener, ALP., J. 11. Hamilton, M.P-. Hon AY. Nosworthv, Sir Heaton Rhodes and Mr IV. H. Field, ALP. ‘The idea of the tour/’ said Mr 11, Jones, *' is simply to allow Nor'h Island members of the Reform Party to sec the South Island. 1? has been felt that tiie North versus South feeling was growing, and wo consider a tour of this kind one of the best means of defeating parochialism and assisting us all in Parliamentary vt>rl". South Island members have been shown round the North Island, now North Island members are being given an opportunity of seeing the South Island." At meetings at Picton, Blenheim and Ward, speakers representing the ATarlborough Progress League and other bodies emphasised the puiut that the construction of the South Island mam trunk railway line was a vital necessity, and that in time, it must come about. In the meantime they urged that a iast train service running three day's a week should he inaugurated between Christchurch and Parnassus and between Picton and Whnroimi. also that thp rivers between Ward and Kaikoura should ho bridged, so that passengers arriving at. Picton from Wellingtou one night should reach Christchurch the fol* ; lowing night. While in Canterbury and North ; Otago the-; visiting members will bo ; shown more particularly the wheat-; growing lands and works of public ini-; poHance. The itinerary is: Wednesday night, arrive Christ-j church. Thursday— ATorn mg. visit Lincoln; College: afternoon, visit A karoa : even- 1 ill'/;, motor back lo Christchurch. Friday—AToming. leave Christchurch ; •• Lake Coleridge, passing through j Kaiapoi, West Fly re ton. Oust- and Ox- ; ford. The North Islanders are keenly j interested in Lake Coleridge, on ac- , count of the fact, that several scheme? | of a, similar character arc either pro-i looted or are moving towards com pic- j lion in their own districts. Friday | cuing, return to Christchurch. Saturday- ATorning, motor through .ringston. Files mere, Duns an del and Rnkaia to Ashburton ; afternoon. leave j Ashburton for Mayfield. Geraldine arid Teniuka. Next week the party will visit the ! Hermitage, Mount Cook, Pembroke, j Queenstown and the irrigation works in ■ Central Otago, finishing the tour with ] two or three days in Southland. \ ENTERTAINED AT KAIKOITIA. At a. dinner given by the Kaikoura County Council this evening, Air SAndrews, the chairman, welcomed the visitors to the district which, he said, unfortunately was suffering from drought, while the farmers were suffering from si financial drought. The only place where there seemed to be any money was Wellington, which was said to hold a. handsome surplus. He only hoped the authorities would be able 1o find the key that Mr Massey seemed to liavo taken away with hirn. (Laughter.) At the same time, though farmers were being hard hit he- thoroughly believed they would bo able to weather through. Air Andrew laid stress on the needs of the district, the completion r.f the main trunk railway, the bridging of provision of better harbour .facilities for the fishing industry. Air G. \Y. Forbes, ALP., said that the visitors were a representative body of men, arid he was sure their education would he increased by what they were seeing m Marlborough arid Canterbury. Personally he was glad to meet old friends. People might have different politics but they could still be warm friends and decent fellows. Sir Go'orge Hunter, replying, said that the party- had travelled through a considerable area, and though the country was very bare, the stoc k looked very well indeed. That was a tribute to the character of the land. The hospitality of the people exceeded their most sanguine expectations. He congratulated them on the abilitv of their representatives in Parliament, Mr M’Callum and Mr Forbes, both of whom were respected and admired by all parties in tlie House. He would be pleased to assist the members for the district in getting carried out such necessary works as bridging rivers, and he thought the main trunk railway deserved something more than being ‘ kept steadily in view.” Air Bollard said that the Government should either go on with the railwav or pick up the rails that had been laid down and use them somewhere <dsc Ho admired the country and ho was quite optimistic about its future. The. present financial stringency would very probably prove a blessing m disguise. -He would be prepared to support the member for the district when he brought down a proposal in the House for the completion of the South Island main trunk railway.

Mr D. Jones. M.P., sakl that the members present were partly c-ountrt people out to see the country. Bv doing so Ik- believed they could do their duty better, forgetting that there was a North and a South Island, aid reafls mg that they had to work for the whole of New Zealand, which was a country of wonderful resources. The tact to he remembered in connection Mith the present financial stringency was that, in the words of Burke, economy was a great source of revenue. 1 hose m more favoured situations srioulci endeavour to support the people m the backbloeks, who were handicapped by bad roads and lack of bridges and railways. Mr Haw-ken ea.id . that ' inadequate means of transport between tlie North ami South Islands was hindcrinp- the progress of the whole Dominion and making commodities pxorbitantlv dear to the consumer The South 'island main trunk should have keen completed years ago. \\ ore it complete to-clav the transport problem would not be nearly so serious as it was. Another point, was that m the handling of cargo at main ports New Zealand was the worst country in the world. Until that was changed they could not expect greatly reduced freights to England for their produce.

Mr Hockly eaid that the question of railway construction in Alarlhorrmo-b deserved full consideration m,°d tie i‘Jn/. P ° U Tf t 0 ? leared ”P was that of -route. It anything was worth having it was jorth fighting for, and he was prepared to see'that the member for the distnet got fair play jn his efforts to give the district propdf- facilities. Mr Burnett said that isolation was at the root of parochialism and industrial discontent, and advancement could com® only by the linking up of necessary railways. They could reet assured that, the members of the pariv would do their Tory best to complete the urgent -works brought under their notice Air A. Hamilton said on© fault of Parliament was that the voice of the country was not heard as it should be. Members of the party were out to see the needs of the district and to help where they could provide the works required. Proposing the toast of the Canter - bury Progress League. Mr Girting, ore-

si dent of the Marlborough Progress League, said that the completion of tho main trunk lino would be in tho interests of the whole Dominion. ft was absolutely necessary now for the carriage of produce and stock. Air Girling paid a tribute to tho work of Air Climie and other officials of tho Canterbury League, and emphasised the fact that reciprocity would prove of tremendous benefit to each province. Tlie Government should be urged to bridge the remaining rivers and establish a, fast, motor transport service between the railheads and to improve telephone communication between Christchurch and Blenheim. Replying. Air Climie said that the president of the Canterbury League. Mr A. G. Henderson, was scrotv disappointed at being prevented from attending that evening. Air Climie said lie was pleased to urmoimee that next Fonda.' there would he inaugurated an all-day telephone service between Christchurch and Blenheim. (Applause.! Tri weekdays additional facilities would also he provided, thus forging another link between the provinces. In regard to the railway, it seemed to him that Hie question of route should first he settled. and that in the moantirne a. fastmotor transport service should be put into operation. The idea was an excellent one. because if would test the value of the lino. He believed that combined efforts would tv.'an the speedy installation of such a service. Describing tho organisation of the Progress League. Air Climie said that the plan of linking up with public* bodies had proved an unqualified success. Canterbury would help ATarlhorough as much r:s it could to secure the railway, and that was a promise he could honestly make. Tho sympathies of Canterbury people wore whole-honrt-cdlv on the sio« of the residents in tho north. (.Applause.! Air A. J. Alurray. chairman of the Kaikoura Roads and Bridges Longue, in proposing the toast of the Mind borough Progress League, said, that had transport facilities iod to depreciation, amounting to £.">0.000 on stork travelling between Marlborough and Canterbury every year. In view of the good work done hv the Progress League, he wars now prepared to suggest that Kaikoura should form a brauch. Mr AVill Lawson. organiser of the Marlborough League, said that his province wanted the heir- of their bigger neighbours, and he earnest!v honed that good would result from the meeting that evening. Air H. J. Mitchell, vice-president of the AThirlborough Progress* League, proposed the toast of tlie Press, which was responded to by Messrs* Af. L. Reading, At. C. Keane and A. B. Clark.