CELEBRATION OF CENTENNIAL

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 234, 1 July 1939, Page 12

CELEBRATION OF CENTENNIAL

Wellington Provincial

Events

MEMORIAL OPENING AND STREET PAGEANT The arrangements to be made for the Wellington provincial centennial celebrations were referred to a sub-commit-tee at a meeting yesterday of Hie Wellington Provincial Council of the New Zealand Centeunial orgauizatiou. A deputation from the Hutt Valle}’ Centennial Committee waited ou Hie council and asked that the whole of the celebrations be held on Anniversary Day, January 22. A sub-committee of the council recommended that the ceremonies on January 22 be confined to the opening of the memorial pavilion and to certain pageantry on the Petone Beach, and that a historical street pageant of floats and marching parties be organized to take place ou Saturday, March 9.' Mr. J. W. Andrews, who spoke for the deputation, said that the committee felt that the only day on which the Wellington province should bold the celebration was January 22. The Hutt Valley already had £llOO in baud, over and above the sum of £3OOO, which was the district quota. The deputation had hoped that whatever was done in any other part of New Zealand, January 22 Ivould have been Wellington’s date. Tlie committee realized that January 22 was a racing day, but it was thought that that would not interfere with the arrangements. The church service could be held at 9.30 a.m. and the opening of the building at 10.30 a.m. The rest of the day would be filled with Maori celebration's, a picnic, and the like. The Hutt Valley would be prepared to undertake the full financial responsibility for tlie celebrations. The committee appealed to the council not to divide the celebration into two days, whether in Wellington or the Hutt Valley. 'i 1 Tlie' chairman, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said that if in addition to the unveiling of the memorial some other celebrations were held they would not necessarily interfere with the big pageant in March.

Mr. Andrews said that it was felt that March 9 had no significance,

Mr. Hislop said that he could see no objection to tlie local celebrations in tlie Hutt Valley, but something was wanted in the city of Wellington. He thought it would be possible to arrange for Hie opening of the memorial on Anniversary Day to take place with proper ceremony. For the rest of the day celebrations of a local character could be held. The national procession, outside the unveiling of the memorial, should-' take place in the city where everybody could see it without difficulty. He moved that the unveiling of the memorial on January 22 should take place in Petone and national celebrations be held, and that a national pageant be held in Wellington on March 9.

The motion was seconded by Mr. J. W. Card.

An amendment that the matter be referred to a sub-committee, consisting of Messrs. A. E. Mansford, T. C. A. Hislop, T. Jordan,,J. W. Andrews, and W. S. Waucliop, was moved by Mr. Andrews, and carried.-

Tlie' report of the sub-committee showed that for the following reasons it was felt that it would be impossible to stage successfully 'a street pageant on January 22 in either Petone or Wellington :

(1) Because of the races it would be impossible to handle the traffic by road or by rail. (2) Many business men would be out of town on that day and wopld not be prepared to assist. (3) On that day thousands of people leave Wellington early in the morning for Trentham and would therefore miss any big function, even if it were possible to hold it. (4) Because of the school holidays many children and teachers would still be absent and it would be impossible to organize an effective display by the schools at that time.

(5) Tiie Petorie foreshore’s environs did not lend themselves to the staging of" an extensive display or to the accommodating of large numbers of people. As the memorial would be opened on January 22, the staging of a street pageant on that day would be even more difficult. (6) It would not be possible to arrange for inclusion in thiV street pageant any of the many floats (including all Government floats) taking part in the Auckland celebrations.

The selection of March 9 would allow the incorporation of all Government floats and of any private floats which had been included in the Auckland and/or Dunedin pageants: also of period costumes and so forth. These would be first' used in Auckland, then in Dunedin and then in Wellington.