MEMORIAL ON BEACH AT PETONE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 253, 22 July 1938, Page 7

MEMORIAL ON BEACH AT PETONE

Eastbourne Discussion

“It may alter Petone’s ideas when they find that the Government wants all local bodies to have their own particular local memorial,” said the mayor, Wr. E. W. Wise, at last night’s meeting of the Eastbourne Borough Council, when the centenary was being discussed. The secretary- of the Wellington Provincial Centennial Committee, Mr. E. P. Norman, wrote stating that he had been advised by the Internal Affairs Department that it was the Government’s desire that every town and village should have its centennial celebration and if possible a memorial in the form of play parks or other suitable memorials. To make the celebrations successful and avoid overlapping, adjacent centres should work in with each other. It was stated at the meeting that the council was desirous of having its own centennial memorial in the nature of a play area and the council approved the action of the town clerk, Mr. C. L. Bishop, in advising the secretary of the provincial centennial committee to this effect. The town clerk in his letter stated that it was understood that a subsidy of £1 would be received for every £3 expended by it. However, the whole position regarding memorials in general did not appear to be clearly defined. At the receut Petone meeting of all local bodies invited to confer regarding co-operation in the raising of funds for the Petone beach memorial, no one appeared to understand clearly how the various schemes were to be financed and exactly in what relation the approved district scheme would stand to local schemes. It appeared to him, when at the Petone meeting, that a de- ’ finite statement clearly defining the whole position should come from either the Government or the provincial committee so that local bodies coifld know exactly what they could do and what was expected of them. A further letter was read from Sir. Norman advising that the provincial committee agreed with the town clerk’s opinion that the Government would subsidise £1 for £3 expended on loeal memorials provided the provincial committee and the Government had first approved of the scheme. The council decided to pay its share of £B7/16/- toward the Wellington court at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition and to take £lOO worth of shares in the centennial exhibition company. The council also decided to. seek the assistance of local sports bodies in its project for a play area. The Upper Hutt Borough Council also decided last night to pay iLs share of £l4B to the Wellington court.