REHUA MEETING HOUSE OPENING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29365, 18 November 1960, Page 12

REHUA MEETING HOUSE OPENING

Visitors’ Transport Arrangements

The large numbers of Maoris who would arrive in Christchurch from ail parts of New Zealand next month for the opening of the Rehua Maori meeting house would be met at their points of arrival and taken to their billeting area at the Show Grounds in transport organised by the Central Methodist Mission, said Mr J. F. Fardell. Mr Fardell. general manager of the Christchurch Transport Board is also convenor of the transport committee of the mission for the opening ceremony of the meeting house. The celebrations will be held on December 2, 3 and 4, and the meeting house will be opened by the Prime Minister (Mr Nash). It will be the first fully carved meeting house to be opened in the South Island in about 100 years. < Maoris from tribes from all parts of New Zealand, including North Auckland and Invercargill, will arrive by all means of transport including inter-island steamer, aircraft and buses They will be met at their points cf arrival and taken to the Show Grounds where they will stay during the celebrations, and transport will also be provided when the celebrations end to take them from the Show Grounds to the points of departure. Extra buses would be provided by the Christchurch Transport Board to cater for those requiring public transport from the Show Grounds to the meeting house in Springfield road for the opening ceremony, said Mr Fardell. Depending on the numbers of Maoris who gathered in Christchurch, the board’s scheduled routes from the Show Grounds to Springfield road would be supplemented with extra buses, or a special direct bus service would be provided. Groups Travelling to Opening “The Transport Committee of the Central Methodist Mission wishes to draw attention to intending visitors for the official opening to the fact that . it is possible to get group travel facilities to Christchurch for this picturesque and important ceremony.” said Mr Fardell in a statement. “Those people who .wish to travel by air can get concession fares at group travel rates if there is a party of 10 or more adults travelling by making block bookings by the group leader at any one of the N.A.C. booking agencies. "Arrangements have also been made with the shipping and rail authorities for group travel concessions and certificates for individual bookings are available from the Maori welfare officers in the North Island and at the Central Methodist Mission. Cambridge terrace, Christchurch.” Cheaper Houses for Liberians.— Liberia has signed her first lowcost housing project contract Worth £33.000 it is to provide a village of about 30 houses on Bushrod Island, five miles from the outskirts of Monrovia It is being undertaken by the International Trust Company of Liberia, an American company. “It will be the first of many more to come,” said an official of the Department of Public Works and Utilties of Liberia—Reuters.