COLONIST BAY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Issue 3463, 1 June 1915, Page 3

COLONIST BAY.

TO THB EBITOR

Sir,—Seemingly the people of German Bay should have consulted Mr W Kearney before deciding on a name for their bay ace. ing that Mr Kearney is neither a resident nor a ratepayer in Ger ran Bay. . Surely the residents and ratepayers have a right to choose their own name. It seems a etrange thing if the name he mentions was the orig , inal name of the Bay the early eet* tiers did not adopt the came instead of German Buy. If there had been a Maori settlement there in the early days, naturally the Bay would nave been called after it, the same as the Kaik, Wainui, and Onawe, after the old Maori settlements. With reference to the meeting held last Monday evening, Mr Kearney considers the procedure was wrong. Perhaps he has had more experience in these matters than others. What did happen at the meeting was—At first two names were proposed and seoondad The names were '•Otnkamakua" and '-Alpha," the name "Alpha" was oarried by one vote. Then it was deoided to adjourn for a time, so that we oould aelaot a name, agreeable to all. This was done. After some disoussion about adjourning the meeting till the following Mon' day, it was deoided to name the bay "Colonist's Bay," whioh resolution was oarried unanimously, ttaoee present being nearly all descendants of the old colonists. They paid a tribute to those old pioneers who did so much in the early days towards bringing the wilderness into a state of prosperity. Where em and bnab was in the early days there are

to - da.y"ebeep and dairy farms, the outcome of their labour and perseverence. Mr Kearney further says in the North Island many changes are being made in towns, the same being re placed by Maori ones. Perhaps Mr Kearney could telJ us tue names of tboee towne *hob have changed their name?. We, who are anxious to see the name of German Biy changed hope to sen the petition signed by every resident in the bay, ao that th* matter otn be proceeded with.

G. ARMSTRONG,