FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

NEWS FROM "THE

POST"

JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

"There are plenty of jubilees and centenaries to be celebrated within the next two or three years, and the approach of the forty-seventh anniversary of the arrival of the first settlers iu this colony reminds us that the jubilee of New Zealand- is of this number," remarks "The Post" of this date fifty years ago. The Queen's jubilee, the centenary of New Zealand's fosterI mother—New South Wales —and the jubilees of South Australia and Victoria, are all close at hand, and will be done with by the tipie New Zealand's turn comes round and it enters on its fiftieth year of colonisation. Probably by that time people may be rather tired of jubilee celebrations, and it may be difficult to devise any specially novel or attractive torm of celebration, but most undoubtedly the event is one which should be marked in some very decided manner, so that our children who survive in their turn to celebrate the centenary of New Zealand may look back to the proceedings of the jubilee year with an interest and pride necessarily less, but still somewhat akin to the feelings with which those of the noble band of early settlers who yet live regard the events of the first year of the colony's existence. Properly speaking, our jubilee year will commence two years hence, when we celebrate the forty-ninth anniversary of the arrival of the first immigrant ships in the waters of Port Nicholson. It may be, however, that the example set by her Majesty, of waiting until the completion of the fiftieth year instead of following the custom of the Mosaic jubilee, will be generally adopted in regard to these celebrations hereafter. In that case. New Zealand has three years to decide on, and to prepare for, its jubilee. The time is none too long to enable proper arrangements to be made, and it is highly desirable that the celebrations should be of a striking character, such as shall excite attention at Home, and, indeed, throughout the world. The opportunity will be a grand one for advertising the colony, and bringing forward in a most decided manner its resources, progress, and prospects. It would be an achievement worthy of the jubilee year if the Main North Island Trunk Railway, uniting Auckland with Wellington, could be completed as one of its events, and we would urge the Ministry. and Parliament to spare no effort to accomplish this. It can be done easily enough if the work is steadily pushed on. Of course, the opening of the railway would be merely an incident in the jubilee celebration, but it would be a strikingly suggestive one. It is really high time that the best means of celebrating the New Zealand Jubilee should be publicly discussed in the Press and in Parliament. We shall be glad to do our part in the matter by giving publicity to any reasonable proposals on the subject, but we would suggest that if the Government can spare the time to meet together before the session, it would not be inappropriate for some reference to the matter to be found in the Governor's Speech, the Premier or the Treasurer following up the reference by outlining some scheme and inviting Parliament to consider the subject." CITY VALUATION. "Mr. Ames, the City Valuer, has completed the annual valuation of city properties for ordinary and water rate purposes. • The result shows the astonishing progress which this city is making. Last year the annual valuation for general rate was £245,966, and for water rate £228,294. This year it is £275,851 for the former, and £247,659 for the latter, an increase in the one case of £29,885, and in the other of £19,365. Last year's valuation exhibited an improvement on the previous year of £16,184 and £17,174 respectively, so that in regard to the general valuation the increase this year is nearly double what it was in the previous year. The valuations in the various wards for 1887-88 and 1886-87 respectively are as follows:— General rate: Lambton, £77,205, £74,615; Thorndon, £46,771, £f2,G04; Te Aro, £78,553, £64,868; Cook, £73,322, £63,879. Water rate: Lambton, £73,545, £70,909; Thorndon, £42,387, £41,733; Te Aro, £67,880, £60,676; Cook, £63,847, £55,576. The increase is not due to any increased valuation of unimproved properties, but wholly to the fact that a great deal of new property has become rateable. In Thorndon Ward the Manawatu Railway Company's land and buildings are for the first time subject to city rates. In Lambton there have been a number of new premises erected. In Te Aro the new reclamation, the Opera House, and Te Aro House are all new additions to the roll, while in both-Te Aro and Cook Wards a large number of formerly vacant acres have been cut up intc building allotments; and, in ail enormous number of cases, private dwellings erected upon them. Of course the valuations given above are subject to appeal, but the appeals against Mr. Ames's valuations seldom reduce the total to any appreciable extent. As the rates amount on the general valuation to Is 6d in the £, and on the water rate to Is in the £, the corporatipn revenue will be upwards of £3000 above what it was last year." MORE RETRENCHMENT. "Hitherto it has been the custom to allow officers of the Postal and Telegraphic Departments small commissions on various classes of fees which they collect from the public for other Departments. In some country districts these fees amounted to a substantial sum, and this was no doubt taken into consideration when the salaries of the officers at those places were fixed. We learn that it has now been decided that in future no officers shall be allowed any commission except in regard to work done for the Government Insurance Department, and a circular to this effect has been issued. The post and telegraph officers will still have to do the work and take the responsibility, but will get no extra pay. This will certainly be rather hard on a good many of them. It is notorious that the Post and Telegraph Department is the worst paid in the Government service, and to many a country postmaster the loss of commission will be a serious one." FIRST SHIP'S DOCTOR. "The Manapouri is the first of the Union boats to arrive here carrying a doctor, in accordance with the- recent decision of the Board of Health. Her surgeon is Dr. McNish. On arrival at Auckland her passengers and crew were carefully inspected by the medical health officer, and the same precaution was adopted upon arrival here, but strange to say there was no inspection at Gisborne or Napier. This is surely a very lax way of administering the quarantine regulations. Why it should be necessary to cause, an inspection here, while it was not necessary at the two previous ports touched j at, we do not understand." At a private meeting of the Canterbury City Council Alderman Frank Wood was unanimously chosen Mayorelect for Coronation year. He has been Mayor twice before, including Jubilet year, and has also held the office of i Sheriff.