AN EXPANSION LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 8

AN EXPANSION LEAGUE

PROPOSED AT CENTRAL CHAMBER

OF COMMERCE,

A great many conferences have been held in Wolliugton, and hundreds of rehave been passed by chambers, of commerce and local bodies, from timo to timo on a wide range of subjects of more or less importance. Of late, however, there has been a spirit of "kick" shown by some men on becoming seized of tho futility of it all, and they have sorrowfully oonfessed that much good time had evidently been wasted in boating tho air, or, in other words, in passing resolutions that woro seldom, if ever, heard of again. This point was taken up by the president of'tlia Central Chamber of Commerco (Mr. C. M. Luke) at yesterday s meeting of the executive. Mr. Luko dwelt upon the amount of earnest work that went for nought, and tho need that existed for following' up their desires. He referred to great subjects, such as tha coal shortage, the railway cut, the hydroelectric scheme, and the roading question—questions of moment to ovc-rjone in the district. Ho thought that what was wanted conld best be aoliioved by the formation of a Wellington Distriot Expansion League, andjiroposed that tho older Chamber of Commerce be asked to join with them in setting up a provisional committee,.and in appointing an organiser who would explain the objects of the league and secure membership' and vital_ interest of every local body in tho district, and by co-operation and mutual understanding they would be able - to speak for the whole of the distriot.

Mr. A. I/. Hunt, who supported the idea, said Hint (hoy only, had to consider tho import!mcp of • the hydro-electric scheme to see lion- necessary some such league was. With the coal shortage their industries must languish, but they must not pin their faith to coal, ana must not depend upon it, hut rather do nil they could to push on with the hydroelectric schepie, which would do all that coal did for' them now.

"Who. thirty rir forty yours h/ro, would have believed that wp could have got into our present position?" said Mr. Hunt. "Tho railway cut was stultifying trade in all directions, and as tho result of thero being few trains tho roads are being cut np in such a way that it will cost hundrods of thousands of pounds to repair them. Nature has boon kind to us, and we should mako haste to accept of her bounty. Look at what is going on overseas! They aro converting vessels tn burn oil at sea so as not to bo dependent on coal, and so on land they must develop hydro-electric schemes to p.c'iieve th" same indepemlenee."

Tho proposal to form an Kxpansion League, moved by Mr. Luke and seconded »!• Mr. Hunt. was passed.