CAPTAIN HOBSON AND WAITANGI

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 6

CAPTAIN HOBSON AND WAITANGI

TO 11 IF. KDITOH. 07 THE PRISS. t • sir—The account of the celebra- < lions' at Waitangi and the wonder- E fully inspiring address of his Excel- , >ncy Lord Bledisloe must have c thrilled all true patriots from one end of the Dominion to the other and c enabled us all to realise more lully than ever the value of citizenship in i this great and glorious British Empire to which both pakeha and Maori J belong. ... , , It has struck me very forcibly, how- t ever, that very little mention has been i made in recent years of that great s and far-seeing man who was largely responsible for the treaty which has bound both races together for all time in the common ties of citizenship. I refer to Captain Hobson, first Governor of New Zealand. On my sev- ; eral visits to Auckland I have been struck by the poor and unworthy tomb which marks the burial place of one who played such an important part in our early history. The tomb js situated in the Auckland cemetery, almost beneath the Grafton bridge. It is a most insignificant one for so great a man; in fact, it is far less imposing than many other tombs in the same cemetery erected to the memories of private citizens, and has no special features to attract the notice ; of visitors; it is just one grave among I hundreds of others, and unless one is a aware of its situation, is difficult to t locate. Surely the present is an opl portune time for the authorities and ,»all who are interested in the early history of the country to take some steps to provide a national memorial to New Zealand's first Governor. Hoping you or someone more capable than I will take this matter up and give it the prominence which I '. think it deserves. —Yours, etc., WAITANGI. Timaru, February 6, 1934.