RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Southland Times, Issue 18850, 16 June 1920, Page 2

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

CANTER BUR Y PROGRESS LEAGUE’S POLICY. BLENHEIM INDIGNANT. (Per United Press Association.) BLENHEIM, June 14. Strong words about the attitude taken up by the Canterbury Progress League in the matter of railway construction were used at the annual meeting of the South Island Main Trunk League. Members remarked that the Canterbury League was reduring Canterbury to the level of a dog-in-the-.m anger, and the effect on public opinion throughout the dominion in relation to public works development would hardly be advantageous to the southern province.

On the motion of the newly-elected president (Mr E. 11. Penny I a resolution was passed for circulation throughout New Zealand; “That this League is filled with tstonishment and indignation at the narrowmindedness and parochialism displayed by the Canterbury Progress League in refusing to co-operate woth the people of Marlborough in urging the claims of the South Island main trunk line. It. regards the attempt to secure exclusive preference for the Otira tunnel as a deliberate perversion of the supreme importance to the dominion of the linking up of the main trunk lines and the more unjustifiable because the provision already made and promised for the Otira tunnel assures the completion of that work in the near future, and this undertaking could not have been prejudiced by support to the larger project. Moreover, our League considers it has been treated in a Cavalier fashion by the Canterbury League, inasmuch as it was always able to count on the co-opcration of Canterbury- in past years. This League trusts that the selfishness of the Canterbury League will be noted throughout New Zealand and widely condemned as contrary to the best interests of the country in the matter of public works development.” A REPLY FROM CANTERBURY. CHRISTCHURCH, .Tune 14. In reference to the telegram from Blenheim regarding the attitude of the Canterbury Progress League towards the South Island Main Trunk line, it is explained that the following resolution was carried at a meeting of the executive on June. 2; “That the League realises the importance of the South Island Main Trunk line being proceeded with and will make (he best use of any opportunity that arises to support the completion of the line.”