The Press. Friday, March 22, 1918. A Canterbury Progress League.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16167, 22 March 1918, Page 6

The Press. Friday, March 22, 1918. A Canterbury Progress League.

| Tho Leaguo which was formed yesterI " day to "promote and tho " agricultural, indus- " trial prosperity'" of Canterbury differs from the Arthur's Pass Tunnel League, as a general sense of unease differs from the sense of a definite and indisputable injustice. Canterbury, it — j as felt, is not keeping its place in the march of progress, and, partly on this account, is more liable to unfair treat- ' ment than the provinces with rapidly inrreasing populations. * There i', «r© certainly not wanting impressive prtjpfs of the inclination of the present Ghswrnment and past Govern- ' ments to treat Canterbury with less * consideration than is duo to it, or than it would receive if it were more popu- : lous or" more aggressive. The neglect of our '•friends across Cook Strait— j amongst whom wo may includo the j Ministry—to take into account, in any i discussion of railway matters, the debt j owed by the General Government to . province in connexion with the railways ! ' -and other establishments taken over in • 1876; tho neglect to consider the special circumstances of Christchurch. when the suburban railway services were reorganised; tho unjustifiablo delay in t completing tho Canterbury-"Westland AjSjg: railway connexion; the ignoring of the • / Southern point of view in the administration of the Military Service Act— i these things, stressed at yesterday's meeting of representatives of Canterbury public todies, aro all indications of the decreasing importance of Canterbury in tho eyes of the Government Parliament. These are real grievances, but before it goes any further, tho League ought to make up its mind whether it is to make its principal conce"l the. carrying on of a policy of < agitation against tho coldness of the Central Government or the promotion l of self-development. The League will h not be an effective force for very long 1 'if it chooses the first course, and aims procuring progress only or mainly what it can by pressure extort 1

from the Government. Nor will it have ! a long, or useful life if it allows itself to become entangled in politics, as it assuredly would do if it became the advocate of any particular theory of land legislation—a danger of which Mr | L. M. Isitt warned yesterday's meet-I ing. A thoroughly non-political league ; may remain non-political, and yet l>e- , stir itself, when the occasion arises, to j make representations to the Cover::- ' incut on behalf of the province in such | matter- a- education and roads and j railways. There i> ample scope, how- ■ ever, lor :i policy fit soil-help, as tho Mayor indicated in concluding lt'.& spsvfh, on lines independent of politics and Governments. .Much requires to be done in the way of making the advantages of (_'aniei'bary widely known, in New Zealand and Australia, and in countries the sea, as a iieid for business activities and a place ol residence. What can itc done in this direction the League should he able to gather it' it investigates the methods employed in America by towns, districts. and States. To spread information, to keep alert for every opportunity to bring trade or population to the province, and to make more widely known tho advantages of Canterbury, and, above all, to foster a spirit of local patriotism —this is the work which the League should set itself to do.