APPROPRIATE NAMES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 127, 2 June 1927, Page 8

APPROPRIATE NAMES

(To the Editor.) S"V-The_ Wellington Early Settlers' and Historical Association and the Presbyterian Church authorities can be assured of a solid backing of public opinion in their protests against changing the names ot Ji.ent and Cambridge terraces to .Queensway." The City Council authorities aver that it is only an "informal sucr- i gestion," yet they already have a new signboard m Cambridge terrace, which boldly proclaims it as "Queensway."! Wherein lies the necessity of wiping out these names that are connected with Wellington's early days, and so well known to WeHingtonians and New Zealanders? The City Council adopted the name Queensway at the suggestion of a gentleman who was evidently not a few and whose main contention was that Queensway" was reminiscent of a big thoroughfare in London, "Kingsway. lam referring to a letter "which appeared in your columns some two months ago signed "Bestwav." ,WhaL of our own reminiscences? Another informal suggestion' made a feumonths ago, but not yet acted upon, relates to the proposal to change the name of Moturoa street in Thorndon to College street. This street, which is right on the site ot the old Pipitea pa, was so-called by our pioneer parents and grandparents to preserve the memory of Moturoa, the friendly Maori chief who held sway at Pipitea when the first white settlers landed. There is no good reason why these historical names should be obliterated, reminders as they are of the brava and hardy men and women who set out from the Old Land so many years ago in sailing-ships to what was then a wild and distant country. Let present-day New Zealanders preserve their memory, and whilst remembering, retain their spirit, and there will never be much wroug with New Zealand.—l am, etc.,