PROVINCIAL ADVANCEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 24325, 14 October 1942, Page 4

PROVINCIAL ADVANCEMENT

OTAGO EXPANSION LEAGUE FORESHORE AIRPORT PROPOSAL REVIVED "At a period such as tins we could not possibly press our various objectives which aim at tlie advancement, prosperity, and intensive settlement of the province of Otago and of the Dominion of New Zealand,” said Mr H. M. Mac Kay, president of the Otago Expansion League, at last night’s annual meeting. “As disclosed by the annual report, we liaye, nevertheless, been successfully active in several respects,” he continued. He said that, the executive was unanimous in its desire to curtail activities during the war period, but this policy was upon lo review, and any concrete suggestions where the resources of the league could be utilised in the future would be welcomed. CLARENDON PHOSPHATES. Drawing attention to the phosphate deposits at Clarendon, Mr Mac Kay remarked that there appeared some justification for a feeling of pleasure at recent developments. The league had pressed the Government to have the deposits investigated early in 1941, and it would appear that in the near future the province, and the country as a whole, would be able lo secure an unlimited supply of this essential fertiliser. “It has always been the league’s contention that more energetic steps should have been taken earlier to apply new and up-to-date scientific methods in the utilisation of low-grade phosphate deposits,” he ° aK ’ MENACE TO SAFETY. The Dunodin-Port Chalmers Highway was another development which had been promoted by the league. This tortuous, snakelike connection between the city and ifs shipping centre of Port Chalmers was a standing disgrace that, would never be tolerated anywhere else in the country. The road was a menace to the safety of the public, and the speaker commended the proposal for early consideration. EARLY AVIATION ACTIVITIES. Speaking of the league's early activities in promoting the interests of aviation, Mr Mac Kay said that it was a matter for regret that an application supported by the league Irom a Dunedin company for a permit to erect an aircraft' construction factory on the foreshore was refused some 10 years ago. , Such an industry would now have been a valuable asset, not only to Otago, but to the Dominion. It would have had the effect of encouraging support for the ultimate utilisation of the foreshore as a civil airport, which was a proposal sponsored by the league as early as 1929. It had been a matter of sincere regret that the, people of Dunedin did not support the propo a, at the time. The obstacles in the way were negligible compared with the supernumau task tackled by the Wellington City Council in establishing a civil airport at Rongotai. Dunedin had been retarded in growth and business'activity through the disability of the distance of its airport from the city. The utilisation of the foreshore area as a civil airport was therefore a matter of extreme and vital importance, and in view of the abnormal growth of aviation as a means of defence, it would appear that the existing' aerodrome would be required for defence purposes event after the war. In any case, civil aviation should be segregated from that of defence. The speaker strougl}' urged the league to persevere in the direction of promoting this proposal. OFFICE-BEARERS. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows; —President, Mr H. M. Mac Kay; vice-presidents—the Mayor of/ Dunedin, chairmen of county councils, and mayors of boroughs, and Messrs T. Scollay, W. B. Taverner, A. Smith; executive—Messrs R* G. Sineoek, G. T. Device, R. T. Stewart, G. J. Errington, .1. Ingfis Wright, G. Ncwey, W. J. Winefi'eld, O. Mirams, 0. A. Wilson. H. Rowley, J. Adam, J. Y. Love, W. G Baird, A. L. S. Cassie, L. F. Evans, W J. Dyson, W. B. Lambert.