DRIFT TO NORTH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26625, 22 November 1947, Page 8

DRIFT TO NORTH

ALARMING PROPORTIONS PUBLICITY ASSOCIATION CONCERNED “While the population of the North Island has increased by 130,000 in the oast 10 years that of the South Island has only increased by 220. There is scarcely a county in the South Island which is not occupied by a dwindling population,” said Mr D. Cresswell, publicity officer for the South Islands Publicity Association, in an interview with the Daily Times last night. The Government has recently formed an advisory ' council on immigration, every member of which is a North Islander. The same is true of the Licensing and Local Bodies Commissions. “South Islanders are very trusting if they think that the flow of immigrants which is beginning to reach New Zealand will ever cross Cook Strait,” said Mr CresswelL “So far Canterbury has had one.’ ’ “ When faced with this North Islanders say that a large number of immigrants have gone to West Coast mines and sawmills. They forget to add—to mine coal and saw wood for the North Island. Canterbury has recently formed an Immigration Association, said Mr Cresswell, “ and a similar organisation might be of considerable value to Otago.” The association decided at its annual conference in Christchurch to change its name, he concluded. With the consent of the Registrar-general, the association would in future be called the South Islahds Publicity Association, instead of Travel Association as before. This indicated the widening interest of the association, said Mr Cresswell, to include not only tourist affairs, but also such matters as new industries, airports, customs, and im-