PROGRESS LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 110, 3 February 1920, Page 8

PROGRESS LEAGUE

TO BE FORMED SOON ✓ """"" i BIG TASKS "AHEAD FOSTERING LOCAL DEVELOPMENT The Central Progress League, the nim of which is to hasten tlio development of Wellington city and province, mot in tho 'Mayor's room at the Town Hall yesterday for the purpose of approving of work already undertaken by a select ocinmittee, of netting up « local executive, and otherwise facilitating tho work of the league, e Tho Mayor's Speech. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) apologised for not taking the chair, stating that ho was engaged at a confornnce and could spare only a few minutes. However,'ho desired to say that ho was in full sympathy with the movement, as was tlio City Council, which would do all in its power to aid the league. \ Progress 'j league could he a tremendous power in the development of the city and province, and no province needed the support of that power more Mian Wellington. The scope was unlimited. No matter what way the eye ivas turned, tlio need for progr"ssive work was apparent. And in a great measure this was due to the citizens themselves. They were too lackadaisical altogether. There <vas always abroad an impression that because seat of Government was at Wellington more public moneys wero 'nent there than in otVer portions of tho Dominion. J3ut®that was not the case. In his opinion tho public men of Wellington were much too modest as eomnarcd with the men of other centres. They should exhibit a determination to see that a fair shnre of Government moneys was spent in local development works. The deviation of railway lines should be pushed on with the utmost dispatch: then thero was the means of access to the city, and the distribution of pedestrian and vehicular traffic within the city. Great Work to be Done. Referring to hydro-electrics, Mr. Luko said the volume of current that would I>d supplied to Wellington from tho Manga liao scheme would' not be sufficient for ordinary domestic purposes; tho supply would not equal the demand until' 6ucli timo as Lake Waikaremoaha was harnessed. The Wellington City Couucil had seen the difficulty with which it would 1)0 faced in the near future and had ordered a steam-power plant io that tho tram and light services would bo maintained. There «lis great work to bo done by a Progress League, and tho sooner is "got to it" the better for Wellington. Sir. G. Frost, who was then elected chairman, said the timo had arrived for them to 6how their determination that the needs of the city should recoive proper consideraion. Thero ,wns the general welfare of tho people to bo 'watched, and thero was no belter wy of watching it than by co-ordino|hi|{ tho energies of different public bodies.. The president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerco (Mr. M. Carr) wrote regretting his inability to be present owing to a meeting of tho council of the chamber,'but lie assured the league th/it lie was satisfied its birth a long-felt want would be" supplied. He would, assist the leaguo to tho utmost of his ability. ' ■ ,' •' . A letter in somewhat similar -terms wns received from tho Town-Planning Association, 'whi(!h also sent t representative. ' ,■* ■ : ■ Mr. C.'M. Luke, after tracing the history of the movement, said that -tlio local bodies had insisted that the 'executive be located at Polmerston North. There was no objection to this, provided it had 'tlio necessary "punch." At first, it had been intended to'confine the league's operations to tlio southern. >part of the North Island, but already applications had been received from Hawke's' Bay and Marlborough, each district desiring' to become pai't of the 'Central Progress League, Ho believed that a branch should fnrnjfiil at Wellington to lifik up with tlio executive, and to this end he would move: "That this meeting approves tho steps taken by the existing committeo towaTds forming a Progress Leaguo to further the progress of tlio control part, of tho Dominion." Behind the Times." . Mr. 'W. H. Field. &.P., in reconding the motion, said that, unquestionably, the establishment of the league, was a necessity. Members of Parliament colikl do something, but much more could bo achieved if it could bo shown that a powerful body of citizens was behind any irequest. As compared with other centres, Wellington wns far boh'jid tho times, and this was due solely' to a lack of interest hy fmhVc men. The l-.;gue should insist that the Government proceed with necessary works, such ns tho Tiimuta.ka and the Plimmerton-Paekaka-rki deviations, as soon as possible. 'The Railways. Department should be taken to task because it administered affairs from the point of view of the Department onlv, and not from the noint of the public, which should be the Department's view-point: To be successful, the league must be "a T n al live body." Mr. TC. A. Wright, M.P. for Wellington Suburbs, said that the first objective of tho league should 1)0 to secure a laTge membership;'it was by (hat means only that power would be attained. _ Tho motion was carried unanimously. , Provisional Committee. , Mr. W. Stuart Wilson tlieh moved: "That this mcet'ng resolves itself into a provisional committee, with power to add to its number, for, tho purpose of arranging a public meeting, so as to inaugurate the Well'ngton bra.mli of the Central Progress League." Tbo«o -liresent were:* Messrs. W. IT. PieVl. M.P, for Otaki. and P. A. Wright. M.P. for Wellington Suburb I ;,'and Colonel Mitchell, M.P. for Wellington South (lion. seeretarvV nnd Messrs. G. Frost. W. Stuart Wilson, .T. Jlntcheson. M. f.uckie, T. M'TCenz ; e, f!. M. Luke, ,T. Cotton, B. Hill, nnd A. Tolan. Tn second : ng the resolution, Mr. L. V'TCenzie said that, an appeal to the business section of the community should assure the leagu" of snco oc >: if then citizens were blind to their own interests. Wanted, Local Patriots. Jlr. J. Hulchcson said that prominent citizens for whom Wellington had done well showed no gratitude. InAuck- ' land, local residents could point to parks,' libraries, and so forth—all gifts by tho people, many of them not of great wealth. In Wellington, t'hosc who should , take an active part in the welfare of ! tho city were conspicuous by their absence. It was necessary to galvanise life into the people, so that the capital could rightly take its placo as the leading city of "the Dominion, A gigantic membership would liavo to lie secured, and this could only bo dono by citizens . taking a 'hand in the effort. j Mr. M. Luckiu commented on thg lack of local patriots. lie said tho wealthy of Auckland, Christcliurch, and Uuiiodin were patriotic and public-spirited citizens. In Wellington, those Vith public spirit had not tlio money, and those with the money wero not possessed of public spirit In ClTe other cities named, parks, libraries, and other institutions could be pointed lo as gifts, but i Wellington nothing "worth n straw" bail'been donated: Tho league had a heavy task in front of it—to infuse energy and interest, in the progress of tho city, into every citizen—rich and poor :■ alike. i The motion was adopted unanimously. . • -ii ri'wuivvl that Messrs. C. M. Luke, W. Stuart Wilson, L. M'lvcn--1 ii. iv-'t. .1. llulchcMiu, A. 'i'olan, and M. Luckie be appointed a committee to confer with the Mayor (Mr. J. P Luke) as lo the*best date on which to hold the public meeling. The Wellington CoutrrtT Chamber of roinmerrp has donate .Kjfl tovai'ds the funds of the league, and yesterday -£.° 9s. was received fTom other subscribers-