PROGRESS LEAGUES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 9 April 1926, Page 6

PROGRESS LEAGUES.

SOUTH ISLAND CONFERENCE. By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNEDIN, April 8. Tho second annual conference of the South Island Progress Leagues was held to-day, delegates being present from .Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, Southland and Duller. .A remit was. carried emphasising the. importance of completing tho Kouth Island Main Trunk Railway at an early date, taking tho east coast route, as being the most direct, opening up country whose productivity can be appreciably increased .by railway connection, and as being destined to carry the major portion of the passenger traffic bctwvmn Him vQ.lnnrl«

Commenting on the Government estimato that the lino would cost £2,000,OCK), Mr Goulter (Marlborough) thought that, if let by contract, it could Le done much cheaper. The .North Island main trunk was now completed, and while North also had a line via Napier, Gisborne and Tauranga, which eventually would give it two main lines of railway t J',°-- constl ' uctiou vote last year gave >lll.-000 for the North and only I'134;500 for the south. Dm o k°) v 'mg remits were carried :—- that the Conference emphasises the importance' of completing the New Zealand Main Trunk railway in the couth Island at an early date. That tho ‘East Coast route is suitable for the following reasons: (1) That it is tho most direct route; (2) That it opens up country whose productivity can bo appreciably increased by railway connection; and (3) That tho lino appeal's destined to carry the major portion of tho passenger traffic between tho . two islands. "Dmt Dio w°rk now proceeding on tho railway from Glenhopo to Murchison should be greatly accelerated in tho interests of national economy, so that the lino can bo made productive ■ at tho earliest possible date. “That Clauso 21 of tho Main Highways Act should bo so amended as to make it mandatory on the Highways Board to apportion tho money between the North arid South Islands definitely on tho basis of tho number of motor vehicles in use in each island. “That wide this Conference fully appreciates tlio tnoro liberal provision contained in the Main Highways Amendment Act, 1925, in respect to tlio payment of subsidies, it expresses tho opinion that tho Highways Board should be given, discretionary power to increase tho subsidies payable on any class of road repair beyond 50 per cent, of the cost thereof. , “That steps should bo taken im-' mediately tho forthcoming session of Parliament opens to again organise the committee of South Island members. “That this Conference congratulates the Prime Minister upon the decision to have a. Town Planning Bill drafted and brought before tho Cabinet for approval during tho forthcoming sessions. ■’ In this obnnection, tho conference respectfully asks that before it is finally passed, tho Prime. Minister will submit the draft copies, of tho Bill to'teh South Island leagues for comment. “That State Forestry scrvico should follow a more iconsecutive afforestation policy for the South Island, gnd should accordingly adopt a more extensive plan o£ planting districts. Tho • Conference is further of opinion that in so far as the* Dominion is concerned, the total amount of revenue .derived ’by* the Forestry Service in any one particular Stitle forest area should ho to -as great nil extent’ as/ possible expended in the development of forestry in such area.” The mover complained that £IO,OOO had been raised \fiom timber royalties, and spent oil

alfqrpstatipn elsewhere. That, he rakiiitainetl, was very unfair when Southland's forests were being depleted Vo rapidly. ' ,4 Tha.t the Conference congratulates the Union Sttcanipship Company upon j\ts action in running the steamers Jlloeraki and. Manuka -in the direct Jviolbourne-Sautli Island, service during ’t\ie past summer, and, trusts that a, sitnilar service will bo «continued next ytvir. The. Leagues represented at the Conference will Cary oil their work of oxi'iensively advertising ‘the resources of thf» South Island in Australia, and so he! p to interest people* of that country in . the 'wonderful' attractions of Son them New Zealand. “ That the Government should givo ever y encouragement towards the proposa 1 for the inau guvation of a direct steamer service between. the chief Sout h Island ports send Fiji and Samoa. ; '“That should it ’bo necessary, the Govei rnment should, favourably consider the n ratter of granting an annual subsidy i ,ji order to v/jiri'iint thp cunning oil of 'such a service. '•‘Th at this Con fcrenco is of opinion that the Government should, during 'the’ fo .rthcoming, season, peace on the estimat es a sufficient sum to provicjo for tin j erection of a suitable hostel at Mil ford So/ind. 'At tho present time th ,o liped, for proper accommodu-

tion is rctardijag the popularisation ot iliis' fai' nous' a cenic resort, ana tins accordin glv lias an adverse effect on j,lie genderal progress ot tho South island f •Brest resorts. 1 ’“That this Conference affirms tho principle ; of ['having a publicity agent, at Avcklanl 1, and resolves that a suLicemmittc ie,. consisting: Messrs 1. Jtt. Cli'mio (' Dh n ter bury), ttrcwp (Southland), a ad Macdonald (Otago) be set up to co ha idcr' the matter, and submit its iindin gi . to various leagues. “That tl 10 time is opportune for tho Construct io n of a road to connect Lake Kanaka ivi .tli the road system ot South AVestlan'dL This district otfcis tauiiiifiS for ti .tnher production, jurying, and touifia t traffic unequalled m any portion of the Dominion, und a road through : tl 10 territory will open up large arena of land for settlement. ' ‘M'hVit a." policy of tree planting on disused',m fl ling claims and other uabte labels' he i uaugurated by tho State Ji'orcstry U epavtincut or a system 01. local bodies prepared to SS£l-tli, Work arranged by tho Dl i Government be requested =„lSa « » aubta. -w « lu - HijrJiwsu ;s Board to take or u all

tiK, ' 'hiirhwavs, and treat a* fin,* eminent roads., using a t lol nvdW/?vi > loan for tho purpose recompiCs»e»?AW 7; tol . l;lxat ion, whether t taming,. .JL as or ii conso foes or tyro tb.rougn./CMstOt . t ] lcso if necessary tas, a'jd meres, , h siuking f u „d tp. pr ovide intei flnr Vie,,loan.’’ tliat the matter bo IV also . resoivod . (c , Colint y Councils referred. ,to all tl in the. South Tsiim... ‘ “That tho Depart on t j, o initial intro ..'be complimented connection with wtint .carried ;out .in „ r j cu Uuro Club tliQ Boys’ and bins a ° t | ic , |}, n ninion, ,j movement throughout eiiieut should \ and .that the .club i ; am l rcorgan’{ibe. considerably .extend i w j t |, { .|ub. bised t.«v, bring it "d u io sikxcskt work ’ns- being,, carried out v I; fully. 'fin Oliver romitncs. , t ho Can- \ It, was decided to accept , viution ' tcrltuny ■ PipM-ess. • Ohristito bold tho .next .confcionco in V • church.