DUNEDIN LETTER.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5962, 20 July 1912, Page 3

DUNEDIN LETTER.

(Own Correspondent.) Occasionally that stall strong voioe for which the poet sighed is to be heard' in Dunedin. This is but natural. If it is to be heard anywhere it ought to 'be heard here. We may Ibe behind -what are termed "our northern neighbours " > in point of population, bills of sale, .and bankruptcies, but in all that tends to tho spiritual enlightenment, moral advancement and cash basis of a frugal and intelligent people Dunedin ranKs lirat. Also we are in the,-very front rank of political reformi-andi wo are all reformers ito-day are we no l -,; Therefore, if a " stiU strong voice is to be hoard at «dl-oi which theie may be some doubt-then, here is the place to sound it forth and the platform whence it will reach the finest. So, a tton4 < a U ye who wish to hear a tale that won't to long, ot how Bill Belcher raised a shout, and voiced Dunedin's wrong. One of the many ornamental and working leagues in this oity of leagues is .(tat'known;as the Dunedin Expansion League which .name .explains itself. Dunedin wants to expand but, at present, is ma slight Siffißwlty as to the how. Originally, I understand, the intention -was to increase -the population to WW™"- " Hoar, hear,!"tsaid I. But difficultiies of a nature that cannot well be discussed outside a committeo meeting of the Eugenics Society, quite early obtruded themselves. One member, the father of five, ventured to ask " hew ■?" ffis colleagues sniiifed and shuffled but otherwise were as vaguely indefinite as members of pub-lic"-bodies, now and again, «ro. Mr H , a strong vegetarian und the owner af , a fruit ranch in the Tuapeka district, suggested aUlulUn-g want " ad." in the evening paper and offered to pay the cost of three m-

sertione. Wanted 40,000 peoplu from linveroargill and Port Chalmers to reside in Dmudin. New babies of cither sex welcomed each of whom will bo presented on arrival with a large sice especially designed, Expansion League feeding bottle. 1 The suggestion, after thanking its mover, was temporarily put on one side and an amendment in favour of a photo-booklet of West Coast _ and Cold, Lake scenery carried. It is at this point that yet another public body Hung its hat in the ring as a champion of expansion and, squaring its chest, challenged the universe. Dunedin, 0 s is perhaps known, has not only a harbour but a Harbour Board, and up till within the memory of the latest miember ol the Expansion League tho Board was supposed to exist for tho 'benefit of the harbour. True, a few cynics arxl scofficrs affirmed that it was the other way about, but any who recall the sweet smelling odors that daily and refreshingly rise from tho Bay. who, in imagination, can picture the huge Hats and islands of luscious) timid, and who love at eventide to wander (at low tide) , a cross the sower channels, Iheso will not need to be told that the Board has rjo other objects in life than spending money and beautifying the fore shore. But the reason of the Otago Harbour Board's being, whatever it ituay have (been, is, at this hour, known of all men. It is to become a humble but expensive supporter of the Dunedin Expansion League. Ignoring the fact that it has more vacant land

than, it knows how to lease, tliat it has no money- wherewith to play ducks unci drakes, that _ it is the dearest port in .the Dominion, that it has an inexhaustible well in the Victoria Channel, the Board has do cidod to expand. What has so low.', been wrong with Dunedin is that it has not expanded, and from now on we arc going to proclaim the doetrine of expansion for all and, perhaps, a tin v bit uirro (for it is well to err on the' safe side) than it is worth. It is rumoured (and 1 mention it in order that you may be on your guard) that bands of young women in blue silk blouses and wearing panwuia hats a'-'o to await the arrival of all trains from the North and South, to accost every man wearing a clean collar and broad smile and to ask hiui..: Are you an expansionist '! If not, why not '.' The Ilaubour Board, as 1 have said, has made plain its faith.' it is an expansionist of the most expansive and expensive kind. 1 may expand and you may expand but the Board declares "we shall expand." And so it is that a scheme has been submitted and approved for the ultimate reclamation of some 400 acres of mud arjd water [at the south cud of the harbour or bay. On tho face of it the intention is attractive and there are it is said no engineering problems. The proposal is to cut, or slice, off that prrtion of the harbour that washes, ait high tide, the gasworks, Musselburgh and Anderson Bay. By doing this a large revenue producing area .will |be secured, the harbour improved and the city expanded. Why, then, object V Why put obstacles in the way of so glorious n dream, may, so eminently sane and business-lko a proposition.'? Well, it is said, by men whose opinion is at least worth listering to even though we do not intend to follow it, that if you cut off the top of the bay you will interfere with the " scour," and that if you do that you will interfere with the depth of the channel at the ilieads and that as the depth there is the most important of all your so-called revenue. reclamation scheme at -the south end may not impossibly kill the gooso that lays the golden egg at the north ! There wero other, though, possibly, less serious objections such! as expanse, its proniaturencss, and abandonment

of oc|Ually necessary •mid more immediate works. But it was around the " scour" objection;) that the battlo raged and was fought and won, or lost (it depends'on your view point). Once show that then; was no foundation for foai' in this regard and thai the eminent engineers who had committed themselves to this opinion did nob know what they were talking about, and that thev were, in fact, (talking'through; their hats and "the whole edifice of surmise, guess work and prediction would collapse "Who, then, would undertake to 'beard the lion in his den, (the Douglas in his hall? "I" said Bill Belcher. "I'll have a whack at 'em." And he did. ''■' These experts told us 30 or 35 years ago that if we went .on reclaiming we should slop the scour !" The great man glared around eyes flashing', jaws locked, head thrown biack, a worthy opponent of nil experts. "Who «ro these experts ?" ho demanded. "Sir John Coode" said a voice, " he's One,"—an audible thrill passed through the Boai'd. " Sir John Goodo " repeated the unabashed Bill, " well, if ho said that ho..talked moonshine, all moonshine. There isn't . a citv i& tbhe South Seas that hps followed, or adopted, in their entirety the schemies of those experts," Hei'e followed an interesting comparison between' the mud Bill ' had played with in. Mel'briurne Harbjour and. the Imudjh© had in the past flung around, somewhat freely,, after gathering? it l during an afternoon ramble in the Otago Harbour. The mjud of the 'Yarra is absolutely second rate ]beside the local product. One is coarse, hard, harmless, whilst ours, said its eulogiser proudly, is warranted to smell 'and to Btiok; I know because I have used it. (Our old friend Or. Fiddis, who by an, act

of Providence found himself i one stormy evening >a onemiber of the Board, here interjected "■ 'Advance Otago, South! Dunedin for ever!) Then he got back to the scour and he scored heavily. " Reclamation cheeks the scour ■! (a pause). Nonsense ! 'Reclamation has been going on for years and tho scour is bettor than ever. Reclamation, say these famous experts, will do harm! Well, my answer, the answer of Bill Belcher -who 'opped the poll at last election, and don't let the Otago Dailv Times forget it, is " pure unadulterated bunkum." A broad grin went round the Hoard. "Great, aint he?" said the South Durxdiii sage. Bill essayed to go on but tho applause became so pronounced and the eagerness with which certain members clung to the ink bottles so peculiar that the still strong voice oi the people's champion ceased, and its owner, having effectually sat c-u the gentlaman named Coode, sat on his chair. Thus was an export exposed and Dunedin expanded.