ACTIVE ORGANISATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16619, 29 December 1921, Page 5

ACTIVE ORGANISATION.

PROGRESS LEAGUE’S YEAR. I The Canterbury Progress League may look back -with satisfaction to 1921, as it has been a year of activities and achievements, resulting in the advancement of the province. 1 Early in the year the league organised one of the most remarkable demonstrations in New Zealand. It arranged a monster deputation to the Hon J. . G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, near the shores of Lake Coleridge, and . there, at the site of the headquarters of the hydro-electrical scheme, it urged an immediate extension of the scheme, ( and the duplication of the lake powerstation. The Minister promised to give complete effect to the league’s wishes. In fulfilment of that promise, in 1922 the present power-station at the lake will reach its full development, and plans now are being x>repared to carry out the duplication proposals. Following close on the heels of the demonstration at Lake Coleridge and the Minister’s promise to proceed with the«pfull development of the scheme, cam* the financial dejjrossion and the Minister’s decision to postpone the permanent work at the Harper River diversion. The league again came to the rescue, and after a long and determined fight against considerable odds, succeeded in having the work again put in hand and carried out on a more permanent and satisfactory basis than was at first contemplated. If all goes well, this work should be completed early in the New Year. Much has been done to hasten the completion of the Arthur’s Pass Tunnel. Visits were made to the tunnel quarterly throughout the year by the organiser, who furnished up-to-date re- | ports on the progress oi the work. His j latest report anticipates the probability j of the tunnel being opened for traffic ! by the end of 1922, provided unforeseen j difficulties do not crop up. Last year, j when work was being considerably dc- { laved through a shortage of cement, i the difficulty was overcome by the iin--1 portation of supplies from England ns | (lie direct outcome of the league’s prej posals to the Minister. It lias been | the league’s policy ewer since to keep a j watchful eye on the tunnel and to i offer constructive criticism, when in the ) opinion of the league, it was necessary j | in the interests of efficiency and pro- ! gresS. ; The league has devoted considerable i I energy to the promotion of an educa- I I tional campaign on rural topics ! , throughout country districts. Prac- j i tically every centre has been visited .; by at least one lecturer. The on- ! couragement the league has received in ■ this department, probably will result in ;an increased number of lectures in I 1922. ! The first fruits of tho league’s si c- > | tivities in the direction of improving j j railway and facilities at Christ- i ■ | church were obtained during the yeai, j j by the completion of the Invje railway « ■ | goodi-shed in the Cnristchurch statioi ij -» ard. Tliif is the first instalment of i rfhat is popularly known as the il Hiley i , Scheme.” it has already served U ! greatly relieve the congestion on the i line. Had it not boon for the financial « i depression, a good deaj more could bt , j shown in this connection, but _ the | league has not considered iC advisable | to press the Government for expendii - ture on anything but the most urgeir. j > | and importaiD undertakings. j Many represents-ioi.j and demonstra- i , ! were organised m support of the : j establishment of the School of Forestry at Canterbury College. A decision has not yet been reached by the Government, but, whether the school is estab lished in Christchurch or elsewhere , the league can never feel ashamed of the live interest it has taken in supj port of ..uFibu-y’s claims- It no 4 , only organised public opinion throughout Canterbury, but organised support in favour t.f the oroject throughout the length and breadth of the South Island and in the Wellington province. The work, probably, most appreciated by the country people, is the establishment of the mail sen*ices, which will continue throughout the duration of the present railwav curtailment. This is the second occasion on which the league has come to the rescue of the j Canterbury people, by establishing mail deliveries, and it looks as if the league’s services may be required in this connection for some time to come. - As soon as unemployment became acute in Canterbury, the league set about solving the problem by setting up a special committee to deal with it As a result, unemployment has been less severe in Canterbury than in any other part of New’ Zealand. The , league’s work in this matter still continues, although the New Year probably will bring about relief. The activities mentioned are only a few*. There were many others. In February, for instance, the league organised a visit to Canterbury and Westland by the Prime Minister. The visit, although semi-private, was very important to Canterbury, and Mr Massey left tho province impressed with the necessity for pushing on the progressive schemes the league had in hand. In manv cases it will take time fo«r Canterbury to secure the ripe fruits of the league’s efforts, but its services already are recognised in the province. This is shown by the manner in which local bodies, business organisations and firms have increased their contributions t( the league’s funds, in that way showing their increased confidence.