Westland Branch of Canterbury Progress League.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 April 1923, Page 1

Westland Branch of Canterbury Progress League.

TUESDAY, APRIL 17th. A mooting of the above was bold at the County Chambers at 7.30 p.m. Present: Messrs 1). J. Evans (in the (hair), TV. J. Butler, W. Jeffries. T. B. Duff, T. AT. Bruce, A. G. PilkineIL Wiltl. J. J. Alcliitusli and .7. .Moiris. Ihe minutes of the previous meeting were con finned and the outward eurrespiidenee read and approved. JN WA ItD CORR ESRONI)EX( Ik From Minister of Public Works advising that he hoped to intimate in the course of a few days when Die Arthur’s Pass Tunnel would lie available for good- traffic.—Received. From Afinister ol Agriculture consenting to Air Cockayne attending the Winter School to he held at Hokitika on June 25th. to 29th. and that en(ftiiry wn- being made to ascertain if tlioother Departmental Officers suggested would be available also to attend the •school.—Received with thank-. | From the Registrar. Canterbury Gel-! lego, replying that the request for the j attendance of Professors at the Winter School to he held at Hokitika would he considered at a, meeting of the Council to be held on the 23rd. inst.— Received. From Department of Agriculture forwarding a copy of the syllabus for the AY in ter School to lie held at Ashburton next month.—Received, and resolved to forward same to the AVestland A. and P. Association.

It was further agreed that -Messrs Jeffries and Pilkington be asked to attend the next meeting of the A. and P. .Association to urge the claims of the Westland AYiliter School upon the attention of the Farmers, and to invite their attendance during the session. It was resolved after discussion to fix tickets for the Winter School at IDs to im-ludc aH members of a family. Air Bclsbaw attended by invitation and supplied particulars with regard to the negotiations proceeding for the lecturing staff at the winter school, ai Hokitika in .June. Mr Bel-haw agreed to write further wilh regard to procuring illustrated lectures for the evenings of the school, and also to communicate with the Canterbury College in respect to the usual subsidy gram towards the school. The matter of furl her arrangements in regard to the Winter School were left to .Messrs Bel show and .Morris to arrange. From the Canterbury Progres.. Pen- i guc forwarding a copy of an illustrated j pamphlet entitled “Hod and Gun.” re-I ceilll.v issued in respect to fishing and j shooting in Canterbury Province.—lie-j reived with thanks. I’roni same forwarding a copy of the I report tin the subject of telephone I charge^.—Received. The members re j fined eulogistie.'illy to tlie interest ; sho" n by the Canterbury League in I going so thoroughly into the question ; which so largely affected the public. All [ Wild moved that a letter of thanks be ; forwarded to the Canterbury Progress ! League for the exhaustive and convincing report which had been circulated, j and that ibis Branch accords its high j appreciation to the work pul into so j important a public service. Air Bruce ! (•peoudod the motion which was carried j uiinniiiuuisly. Air Butler verbally reported that he . had attended last week’s meeting ol Ihe Canterbury Progress League and ' wn- much struck by the interest taken 1 by the parent body in AN e-l Coast mattors. In the course of a discussion al the table. In' nuutioiied to the League, that he looked to the Port of Lyttelton becoming the importing port for the West Coast, and he assured the League of all sympathy in any matter or movement afl'cci mg the well arc <>! I.vttclton I lm-hour. Mr Knllcr was i thanked for his report and hi- action j was approved. IT NX EI. CHARGES EGI! GOODS j TRAFFICAir Butler referred to a report up- , pealing the Lyttelton Times ol 1 ii- I day la-t to the ell'e.-i Dial ii was under- I stood there would lie no special tunnel iate- lor good- trallie through Arthur's j Pas- Tunnel, bill thitt it was stated D'r ; Depart nielli would gain a little additional rcvi'Uii" by eliciting (lie line into j tsc. tions of which Otira to j Arthur's Pa-s would be the eenlr.il sec- j tinn. |n that way the press report 111- j dilated the I n ight would be a little ; more than if the charges were bas-d j on a through mileage calculation. -Mr j puller proceeded lo say Dial tariffs for | !ran-port bv raii vay w re bil-ed "U j -ei"iitilie principle- go’ Tiled by "cigln j hulk or value. The proposed charge | over all the through rate ol a >(■' tional j

rai" would make an enormous - ; once to th" I'l'venue m ha derived and j would alb'i't very -eiioii-lv the good- j l i nfli" by 11"' railway route. I ie ('"U- j -idi'i'-d that the Department "ould de- j lit,, from Dee alleivd ineidem-e id i , barging, bundreils ol thou-and- "i , pounds mure than Die cost ol Die line U"| out uf this end alone, by Die in- j t* r< % :* si*«l i ini'. 1 Id* innltr o- j l| lt » <• j-f.t j ■ t im jiurtniK v K> Ix'tl' jn ’*- | terbury and Hie Au-1 Coa-t ami lie | urged the.l 1 lie matter inighl have their -"ri iU-. i ni l -i(le! at ion. Mr Butler wi tit <>n to -ay Deal he dal l not have the actual I'adwny tarili- al hand, possessing Du’ latest inn;, a—s. i but from the (igores he had in his pus. session, he cal' ulated Die dill'ei cnee in cost for tran-it of cattle per 'ruck from Ro.-s i I Christelmr. h. a di-ian"-„f 182 mil's, would be an iiterease oi nearly 5:1 per cent, oil the thl! ■ *’i';" belwecn a through mileage and -"l'Doii chargi'S. (to Die co-t of a inn k of cattle from Rdlomaiiu Lite iiicreak ■ would be nearly 7tj per cent, in the IdK l'elice between Die two system-. P aling with tindier. be point'd out Doit- the increasing <iv ; i ol trail-porting limber from Boss to ( hrislcliurch. a- ! etweco Die tliroilgh system and the i'li.al ebarges. would he almost 7" per eent. while the ditfereuee in mcreased cost from Aloana to t liristehiii't h would be 53 per coni- Ihe relative increases by the altered im ideut of ebarging would be that the dilfereiiee oi freights from lloss and Aloana. respectively, to Cbristelinreli. would i.e increased 157 per emit. In regard t> Hour from ('hi'ist"onre!i lo Hokitika, the increase charged Uu -ame would he over fiO per cent, and Dicre would be a. similar increase praei, ally in respect to the freight on il'J'ii to Grevmouth. Air Wild said it appeared clear that there was going to he an inmea-'o penalty on tlio-e residing i ariLei'c-t awav. Perhaps it would be lea.-om. to siibmit to some increase, but n »■'; far more honest to directly fix a I'lnnei rate. He understood Dime "a- -"me intention of getting over toe duh'alt | jV increasing the haulage rate lurougl. tiie tunnel section. . , Mr -lelfi'ies said that the increase.! ehal'"'.- i" respect f stock uoald not show any eonees-imi ml the picsent "barge- of driving the ‘'attic l " UI 1 Hill and that consequently the eat.l" trade would net expand as rapidly as bad been anticipated. The Chairman -a.d that during tee week-end Commceiid Agents ol the Railway HepaitmeiU had visited Hokitika. but in a. gen-ral di-'i.s-ion ijt7.ii r. s; eeifi" lel'ereuee to increased ebarges. excepting an mdi ati'u that liigli-el»-.- c such as drapery and gro. cries wmild lo on a tar.lf. v- lii'-H ’’•ould probablv enable sea-transport to compete with ike Railways. The Cluirmaii aEo mentioned that "hen butter was lately taken through the tunnel the Farmers "had been charged on a three -.-"tii md rate and they had protested t , the high charge made. The whole subject v. as of very great importance to both Provinces and he suggested iepresentations to the Canterbury Progress League for a thorough investigation to the matter. After a further general discussion in which Messrs Bruce, Duff. Mclntosh,

! iPll.'ingt ii and others took part. A! “ j AA'ihl moved Din the Committee learn ,\ v. it'u alarm from inform"!! m pulilislie j m the Lyttelton Times, that it is e<n templated making the Railway freigh tunnel charge in such a form that th iu< re distant stations would have K pry a greater proportion m i lie eharg' than the nearer in Dio form ...f thro sectional rates, instead of one ihromd rate, by which the rate to such statioi II as Ro.-s is some 15 ni'-re than, .-.iv in in Aloana. wliile the extra eharg: on some items Icing no less than 70 '. toid that the Canterbury Pregiv--l.eagi'e. througb K- Railway Committee. lie requested to take the unmet up without delay fm a thorough investigation. and further, the AYe.-t Coast Local Bodies and Chamber of D"'.n-im-i\e be communicated with and asked also to interest themselves in regard hi this highly important mailer affecting the provinces on LoDi shies of ihe ranges. Air Jeffri' .-•-.•ontled the motion which was carried unanimously. Jl wa- resolved to thank Air Butler j lor going so exhaustively into the sub--1 jeet and tbe mauer oi eommuuieating i with the Department "a> Lit in the hands of the Gliainiiaii. Sce:“tary and Mr Butler. From the (.'antei'Lety Progre-s League eoiiveyiug an expla'iiation of Die delay in forwarding ■■ radio message from the ferry st.'iimrr t('lii'istcluiiell on a I'ccotit trip in wliieli, when the steamer was delayed, AVest Coast passengers wished to connect with the motor service.—Received: It appeared from the explaution that in the eaily hours of the morning, owing to the main Post Office being ch.-ed. it was not possible to get an early delivery of Radio messages at their destinations and the opinion was expressed that the Radio service did net possess all the conveniences it. was supposed to provide. Il uis resolved to thank Air Climic I'nr so promptly looking into the complaint. The meeting concluded at 9.15 p.m.