TARANAKI PROGRESSIVE LEAGUE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1920, Page 6

TARANAKI PROGRESSIVE LEAGUE.

SUPPORTED BY STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Taranaki Progressive League caltne in for a good measure of support at Saturday's meeting of tho Stratford County Council, when a letter was received from the league, notifying that the council's contribution towards the initial expenses of the league amounted to £lO 10s.

The chairman (Mr. E. Walter) said that he believed the League was along the right lines, and would be a great benefit to the province. The Hydro-Elec-tric League had now decided to merge with the Progressive League, and there was a splendid prospect of much good work being accomplished. Cr. T. E. Coleman said the matter had .been brought up at a meeting of the Ngaere Dairy Company, and it was decided to support the league individually, and not any money from the company. There was a feeling in his district that the council would not be doing the right thing by voting a sum of money to the league. He believed the league was all right, but it should get individual subscriptions. Cr. T. R. Anderson did not believe in the matter being left to individual members. He moved that the council's contribution to the league should be paid. Cr. W. H. Were, in seconding the motion, said the .matter had been discussed at a meeting of the directors of the Stratford Dairy Company, held the previous day, and while the directors were quite sympathetic they could not see their way to contribute to the league owing to the commitments they had entered into in connection with the committee of the South Taranaki Dairy Companies, which had been set up for the purpose of investigating the possibilities of hydro-electric power, and of securing a report on the coal resources of the Ohura. He wanted to see the whole of the smaller organisations in Taranaki merged into the league in order to avoid duplication. Cr. S. Pitt supported the motion. He had met a few people who thought it was scandalous for the council to vote the ten guineas, but the time for such old and non-progressive ideas had long passed. * There were 000 ratepayers in the county, and the contribution worked out at only fid for each ratepayer. The league was for the development of the whole of Taranaki, and it was worth | much morp than the contribution asked | for. The motion was carried unanimouslv.