THE CENTENNIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 11

THE CENTENNIAL

TENDER ACCEPTED

PROVINCIAL MEMORIAL

At a meeting of the Wellington Provincial Council yesterday afternoon the tender of .Messrs. McLaughlan and Lane, of Pe'tone, of £9175 10s 6d, for the erection jof the provincial memorial ( on the Petone Beach was accepted, subject to the price being reduced, in I accordance with the schedule attached to. the. tender, tor the approval of a usub-cqmmittee. it ..was: -als.^ . decided that .the Hiitt Valley Power Board be asked to take the necessary steps to have the power line in the vicinity of the memorial put below ground as soon as possible. The chairman, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, said the treasurer's statement showed that the money for the memorial was practically in. sight. \

During a discussion on the form that the opening. ceremony on January 22 should take two ideas were suggested, a simple march, past of the assembled children, or a more elaborate pageant. It was pointed, out. that if the function, as was intended, was a national celebration, then the Government subsidy of £1 in,, £3 would be available.

The chairman said^hat a large number of children would, be coming from all. parts of the province. It was not a local celebration. Maoris and others would no doubt come from a distance, as well as from the Hutt Valley. It was, however, for the provincial council to decide what should be done.

The Mayor of Petone, Mr. G. London, said that he would like to see a pageant carried out on the foreshore, but it would be difficult to stage a pageant where thousands of spectators could see it. To provide a ; . pageant for a multitude would be a tremendous expense. Something in the nature of a grandstand would be necessary. The Director of Centennial Pageantry, Mr. W. S. Wauchop, thought that the only place such a pageant could be staged was at the far end of the beach, near the sandhills. Even there, with the people three or four deep, they would not be able to see a pageant without boxes to stand on. The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. W. Andrews, considered that a large expenditure on stands, etc., was inadvisable. He suggested a simple function, starting early in the morning so that people could go to the races in the afternoon.

Mr. A. G. Barnett (Wellington Harbour Board) reminded members of the effects of a strong southerly wind should the function . be. held on the beach.

It was stated that the tide would be low at 8 a.m. on that date:

The Mayor of' Palmerston North, Mr. A. E. Mansford, said that if no procession was held at Petone, one could be held in the streets: of Wellington. It would comprise floats and other features describing the progress of the country. Much would- depend on what the people of other zones would do on that day in their own cities. If they knew that Wellington was to stage a big procession they. would come to see it.

The Mayor of Masterton, Mr. T. Jordan: You would not go without a procession in Palmerston North if Wellington had one?

Mr. Mansford: No, but it would affect the amount of money we would spend on it. He thought that Palmerston North would be glad to send a float representing something. It would be worth while to sound other centres on this question. ■ ■

Mr. Jordan thought some procession showing development should- be put on, as was done in Australia. The chairman agreed that something worth while should be done. - :

A sub-committee, . consisting of Messrs. A. G. Barnett, E. P. Norman, W. S. Wauchop, and. the secretary (Mr. Bardsley), with power to co-opt, was set up to thoroughly investigate the position and the possibilities, and to report to the next monthly meeting of the council.