Crystal-Gazer

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 756, 15 January 1954, Page 13

Crystal-Gazer

\VHAT future has the South Islandthe Maitland-of New Zealand? What changes will it see in the next 15 years? In The Canterbury Crystal, six talks to be heard from 3YA, starting on Thursday, January 21, at 7.15 p.m., L. C. Walker (above) will describe the sort of future he thinks it might have if present day Mainlanders had the vision and initiative of the early pioneers. For the last few months Mr. Walker has held in Christchurch an exhibition illustrating the points he will discuss ifi his broadcasts. During the next 15 years, Mr. Walker points out, the world population wil] increase by about 300 million. The South Isléfid has 6nly 11 petsong to the square milé, yet it is ofé of the edasiést places in "ouf quafter of the earth’-the British Cormimonweéalth-to develop. As a major step in this devélopment, he suggésts that 100 new cities of 10,000 people each, and each with its own major, intensely-developed farm, should be established. Mr. Walker speaks aS a man of experience in thé dévéloptient of new areas, as he opened up Diamond Harbout for the Lyttelton Borough Council ovet 40 years ago and built a village at Hornby over 25 years ago. Now in his middle sixties, Mr. Walker is knéwn to a great number of people, in Christchurch particularly, for his advocaty over the years of greater vision in developing New Zealand’s resources. As a4 young man Mr. Walker was a commercial traveller, atid while still in his early twenties was a businessman in Fiji and later a dairy farmer. He stood sevéra] times for Parliament and once contéstéd the Christchurch Mayoralty, as ah Independent. Shortly before thé war hé spént a year or two in Britain, wheré hé was an unofficial adviser to the Ministry of Food.