OUR CENTENARY

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 117, 11 February 1930, Page 9

OUR CENTENARY

COURT OF NATIONAL PROGRESS AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE “The decision of the Mayor and City Council to hold a meeting in April to discuss the holding of a centennial exhibition in Wellington is very timely, said Mr. W. Stuart Wilson to a ‘Dominion” representative. “In other parts of the world,’ continued Mr. Wilson, “exhibitions have been used to further the well-being of the people. The most conspicuous example that comes to mind is the Court of Honour of the Chicago Exhibition, which was for the purpose of impressing upon citizens the necessity for beautifying a city and bringing it up to modern, requirements. Those who have been m the environments of Chicago will realise how successful that appeal has been. I suggest that our exhibition should be for the purpose of creating a Court of National Progress, to be financed out of the fund for exhibition purposes. . “Wellington to-day is attracting worldwide attention owing to the fact that our carillon is playing in Hyde Park, ringing out messages of peace and goodwill which should have a very good effect throughout the world. The president of the Royal Academy has urged all artists in London to view the beautiful figures which have been created by a New Zealander, and intended to be placed at the top of the column of the citizens war memorial near the Parliament Buildings. If we create a Court of National Progress to be used expressly for the purpose or improving local and national government, it would probably attract more attention from the outside world than anything we have done in the past.” Raising Finance. “It should be comparatively easy,” said Mr. Wilson, “to raise, say, 50,000 £lO debentures during the course of the next five years, thus accumulating half a million sterling, which will be ample to finance the largest exhibition yet held in New Zealand. Some years ago I put in a report to the Show Association that the sandhills of Lyall Bay should be used for the purpose of holding a big exhibition. Since that time the area has been levelled and laid out for the Wellington aerodrome and recreation parks. The only available land now for the purpose is the area belonging to the Miramar Golf Club, or Gear Island in the Hutt Valley. It might appear that the golfers would be called upon to make a big sacrifice, but such improvements would accrue after the exhibition that they would be able to get cheaper golf than they had had before. The only thing is that they would have to give up the use of the ground for about a year, but it would be in an excellent cause. Gear Island Suggestion. “The Hutt River Board recently instructed its engineer to call for tenders for filling in the old part of the watercourse of the river on one side of Gear Island. An ex-Dunedinite recalled how Lake Logan was filled in on the exhibition ground there, and how many considered it an act of sacrilege. I trust the Hutt River Board will not perpetuate a similar mistake, for this portion of the river would lend itself admirably to a scheme of beautification, providing an ideal piece of water for aquatic sports. All that requires to be done is to dredge and deepen the channel, plant willows on the bank and allow the water from the Hutt River to flow through to prevent the water becoming stagnant. Then citizens of Wellington and suburbs would have a beauty spot and recreation ground something approaching the Avon at Christchurch. The stopbanks would make a natural amphitheatre for athletic sports, etc. “I have merely made a very rough outline of n tentative proposal which I think the citizens of Wellington and the Hutt might seriously consider as a worthy scheme upon which to build the centenary celebrations. Any further suggestions or co-operation will be very welcome.” , •