CENTENNIAL OF DOMINION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22390, 2 May 1938, Page 9

CENTENNIAL OF DOMINION

INTEREST IN LONDON

HISTORICAL RECORDS TO BE PUBLISHED

(7&OU OtTB OWS COI6ISPOSSCST.) LONDON, March 19. New Zealanders in London were informed of the steps that are being taken to celebrate the centennial by Professor J. Rutherford, Professor of History at Auckland University College, at a meeting of the New Zealand Group of the Overseas League this week. Professor Rutherford has been examining and collecting in England documents relating to the foundation of the colony.

The High Commissioner (Mr W. J. Jordan), in introducing the speaker, said it was fortunate that Professor Rutherford had been in England to deal with material forwarded in response to an appeal for papers of historical interest. Professor Rutherford outlined the celebrations that are planned in the various centres and expressed great pleasure that there had been no provincial jealousy shown in the preparations. It seemed to him that the event presented an excellent opportunity to begin a new era of co-operation and understanding between Maori and white man. and for this reason he attached special importance to the efforts being made by the Maoris to celebrate the centennial. As a historian he was keenly interested in seeing a start made with the oublication of the historical records of New Zealand. Until the chief documents. now scattered in various parts of the world, were made available in this way. it would be impossible for text books and other secondary works to be accurate and reliable. He hoped it would be possible to issue the first volume by 1940. The chairman (Colonel E. ff. W. Lascelles) said it was up to all New Zealanders in England to beain spreading word about the centennial at once. Many people in Britain had vague intentions of visiting friends or relatives in the Dominion. They should be urged to go for the centennial, but they should be approached at once.