LOWER HUTT GEREMONIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 31, 5 August 1936, Page 13

LOWER HUTT GEREMONIES

Four ceremonies in connection with Arbor Day were held in Bower. Hutt this morning, and groups of the senior scholars in each of the schools took part in them. The central group met at Trafalgar Park and comprised Hutt Valley High School pupils, under the principal, Mr. J. N. Millard; Waiwhetu pupils under Mr.' E. D. HarlandRandwick pupils under Mr. M. S. Quigley; and Convent School pupils in charge of two Sisters.

The gathering was addressed by the Mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews), who stressed the need for "the protection of the trees which were being planted, and Councillor J. Mitchell, who pointed out the beauties of New Zealand's natiye flora and said that Lower Hutt was anxious to preserve it, and with that end in view had laid out the Ludlam Crescent and Normandale reserves entirely with native trees.

The official party, which included the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor and Mrs. Mitchell, the teachers, Mr. and Mrs. E. Hutt, Mr. B. S. Knox, and Mr. A. J. Nicholls, then planted trees round Trafalgar Park, and the children planted Cambridge and Oxford Terraces and Trafalgar and Brook Streets with . a total of 262 native trees.

The Hutt Central school paVty, under Messrs. N. Taylor and P. J. Palmer, met in Beaumont Avenue and were addressed by Mr. W. H. Wilson, who spoke of the dangers which menaced a country which neglected afforestation, and the value of the forests in maintaining the balance of nature in bird and insect life.

The children then planted Beaumont Avenue and Kiwi, Moa, and Tui Streets with 89 native trees.

The Eastern Hutt school group, which met in Raroa Road under Mr. W. E. Dickinson, was addressed by Mr. T. W. Attwood, who in the course of a humorous talk imparted much valuable information regarding native .flora to the children, who then planted

27 trees in Raroa Road, which has recently been reformed.

The. most northerly, group, comprising the Boulcott pupils, met in Ariki Street under Mr. J. J. Burke, and were addressed by Mrs. A. R. Gower and Mr. William Smith, members of the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society who are keenly interested in native flora. Thirty-nine trees were planted in Ariki Street, making an aggregate total of 417 trees planted in Lower Hutt streets. .

After leaving Trafalgar Park, the Mayor addressed each of the three gatherings, conveying the thanks of the borough to the children.

This afternoon the Hutt Valley High School held a tree-planting ceremony in its own grounds, the gathering being addressed by the principal, Mr. J. N. MUlard, Mr. Jas. Storehouse, a member Cf the Board of Governors, the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrews, and Mr. H. Poole. The pupils planted trees adjacent to the new manual training rooms. .■-'■'