SOUTH ISLAND ACHIEVED MUCH IN PAST YEAR

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1948, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND ACHIEVED MUCH IN PAST YEAR

In his report to the South Island Local Bofiies’ Association conference at Westport yesterday, the Mayor m unnstchurcn, Mr E. H. Andrews, who is the president of tne Association said that it was with a considerauie measure oi satisfaction that he repm tea on the activities oi the year just passed, for though not a gieat deal oi outstanding importance naa oeen achieved many smaller, thougn important advances had been maue anu an indications were that the Association has been more and more recognised as one of influence by those in authority and by the people generally. , . “Ministers of the Crown have been prompt in answering our correspondence and are adopting a more sympathetic attitude to our submissions, ne added. ••Newspapers have been generous in their allocation of space, and in support of our demands for improvements and for a progressive policy in the South Island. Nevei, oelore 1 think, have the people oi the South Island so awakened to the necessity for mutual and combined effort as they have this year.

EMPIRE GAMES • “Many things have contributed to this staie oi aiiairs, such as the Otago centennary, the power shortage, tne conference with South Island memoers ot Parliament, and perhaps more •mail anything Auckland's action in connection with the Empire Games, not to mention the School of Forestry and its general opposition to the spending of money in tne south. At least, we have the satisfaction of knowing that our demands are openly made and honestly pursued, and that the people and institutions oi me South Island will not descend to questionable methods lor gaining men desires. Some progress has been made and more promised with internal air services. The members of the executive had a conterence with Sir Frederick Tymms and the other members oi the Air Services Commission and pushed the claim of the South Island ior an overseas airport, and for improvement in internal services. Continued representations have been made for the re-establishment of the Bluff-Melbourne shipping service, tourist matters, the cement question, school of forestry, seed testing station, direct shipping to South island ports, rail cars, the Nelson railway gap and many other subjects. Other representations have resulted in some additions having been made to the Internal air services, and the restoration of ‘Domines’ to the Greymouth-Wellington service, and some small increase in the labour and equipment on the Haast Pass Road. DREDGED AREAS

Mr Andrews continued: “The Government has stated its intention of utilising the levy of £7 10s per acre lor restoration and re-afforestation oi dredged areas as soon as circumstances permit. The PostmasterGeneral has given an assurance ol tne continuance of a six-day delivery of rural mails and has partly met the demand by the association and others for the abolition of the sales tax on public transport vehicles. Publicity through the newspapers and the South Island Publicity Association has been well maintained and the grant of £l5O made to the South Island Publicity Association has been well spent in providing booklets etc., on the South Island.

NORTH v. SOUTH Mr Andrews ended by criticising the amount or State expenditure on the North island tourist resorts, electricity and other items, as compared with the South Island, and added:— “I admit that the greater necessity must oe met by tne greater expenditure, but especially may 1 draw attention to the great disparity in the tourist expenditure between the two islands, when it is ireely admitted that tne South island has a vastly greater and superior num per oi attractions than the North, but has received less than one sixth of the total expenditure.” , For tne conlerence, visitors numbered about 80, many of the delegates being accompanied by their wives.

The conference will occupy three days, during which, it is expected, there will oe opportunity for relaxation as well as debate.

Council Voting Change Wanted

At the South Island Local Bodies’ conierence which opened at Westport yesterday morning, a remit sponsored by the Kaikoura County Council, providing lor a cnange in voting procedure at the election ot councillors so that voters would strike out the names of candidates lor whom he did not wish to vote, in preference to the present procedure ol placing a cross opposite tne names of candidates for whom he desired to vote, was moved by the Mayor 01 Westport (Mr J. M. Robetrson) and carried.

Mr Robertson said that he was acting for the Kaikoura Council and as a member of an old school he was all in favour of striking out the names of unwanted candidates. Mr J. McAlpine (Rangiora) said that there were many arguments in his district concerning the present system and he was in favour of the motion. Alter otho rdelegates had claimed that such a motion might differ from the ideas of the Municipal and county Councils’ Association and that it had been suggested that the matter was foreign to the aims of the conference, the motion was carried on a show of hands. Mr A. T. Newman (Southland Boroughs) said that the matter had been taken up by the Municipal Association with the Internal Affairs Department, but, as the present system had been asked for in 1941 it was not considered reasonable to make another change. Personally, he thought that there was a certain amount of satisfaction in crossing out the names of unwanted candb dates. Another remit from the Mosgiel Borough, that the Government be urged to prepare and implement a major housing scheme to relieve the acute shortage of houses in Dunedin and its environs, was amended by the chairman, to include the whole of the South Island and in its corrected form was carried..