MINISTER'S APPEAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 64, 13 September 1939, Page 4

MINISTER'S APPEAL

EMPIRE COURTS GIVE LEAD

WORK WILL GO ON

Addressing a special meeting of the National Centennal Council at Parliament Buildings yesterday, the Hon. W. E. Parry said that much had happened since they last- met, and the occasion they were called for was important. New Zealand, with the Empire, had been plunged into war, which imposed the grave responsibility of considering anew the whole question of the Centennial celebrations. Quoting the statement of the Acting Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) that the Centennial efforts would be' a most valuable aid in cementing the national spirit which was so necessary now, Mr. Parry said that it would be a calamity, after three and a half years of effort, to throw overboard all the national work that had been done for the celebration of the Centennial, or to halt in efforts to complete what had been done. In view of the urge, which all must have felt in varying degrees, to escape into a whirl of patriotic activity, he reviewed the purpose of the Centennial, to commemorate the first hundred years of the national life in a spirit of pride of achievement, and of reverence for the pioneers of both settlement and Government.

The approval of these sentiments, which was Dominion wide, might be summed-up in the following proposals: (1) That we should show recognition of what our hardy and far-seeing pioneers and those, who followed them did to make possible the material and social benefits enjoyed by the people and the country. (2) That a spirit of pride and reverence should seek^ material expression in appropriate celebrations and in memorials to remind not only ourselves but future generations of what we owe to the, stalwart builders of a century of achievement. (3) That the Centennial should give us an opportunity we had not yet had of creating a national spirit and guiding it, not in any direction of national aggrandisement, but for the benefit of mankind. SPmiT OF CELEBRATIONS. Those propositions had been heartily accepted, and' to suggest that the Centennial should be abandoned was to . claim that the occasion or the manner of celebrating it was not in keeping with the traditions of the Empire in times of danger: He reviewed the historical and cultural celebrations, memorials, and the Exhibition, planned on <a hitherto unparalleled scale, in itself an epitome of 100 years of development and national achievement, in fact, the focal Point of the Centenary celebrations. Referring to the efforts put forward in 1914-18 in carnivals and such; functions to raise funds, he said that any suggestion that Centennial celebrations; on the lines conceived was 'ojut-'pf keeping with the serious [spirit ■'.s£fitiaxtiixi& would be sheer; hypdcrisy, 12' Centennial effort weretd be diverted tOi tfre raising of war funds by some of the methods then practised. 'V THE COUNCIL AGREES. '- The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. B^G. Sullivan) agreed with the whole of Mr. Parry's statement, and a resolution passed by the council agreed wholeheartedly with the Government's desire that, with such modifications only as the necessities of the present war demand, all Centennial organisations should carry on with their plans.

HARBOUR BOARD VISIT. Members of the Wellington Harbour Board yesterday visited the Exhibition, the party comprising Messrs. T. B. Barrer (Masterton), W. L. Fitzherbert (Palmerston North), J. W. Andrews (Lower Hutt), G. London (Petone), E. D. Cachemaille (engineer), j arid F. W. Reed (secretary). The party toured the buildings, and expressed! themselves amazed at what had beeni done. In the Dominion Court they j were taken into the model factory, where they were shown a model of the floating dock. It was put into opera-! tion for their benefit in. a tank, and lifted a model of a steamer, somewhat to the astonishment of the visitors, who' had not expected to find a working model. Mr. Barrer said that before the visit1 to the Exhibition->s a whole, he had".been.'Of-the opinion that it would be unwise to carry on, but, having seen the extent to which work had been carried, he had no doubt that it was the right thing to go ahead. EMPIRE PAVILIONS GO ON. The United Kingdom, Australian, and Canadian pavilions will carry on. The British and Australian buildings are in a very advanced stage and there is no possibility that any of the material not yet to hand will not arrive, while the whole of the Canadian exhibit is in hand. and being erected. The Canadian Commissioner, Mr. J. 6. Turcotte, arrived in Wellington yesterday, and will be in charge of- the Canadian Court during the Exhibition. . WELSH GUARDS' BAND REPLACEMENT NECESSARY. Cabled information that the Welsh Guards' Band will not now be able to come to New Zealand was received yesterday afternoon by Mr. C. P. Hainsworth, the general manager of the Exhibition. Though this had been seen as probable when war was declared, the loss of such an attraction was disappointing. A meeting of the music committee to consider ap alternative decided that Dominion bands should be engaged, and be supplemented by records used with the amplifying system. A sub-committee was appointed to consider vhat bands would be selected, and the programmes desired. New Zealand's best bands would be chosen, ana the local .bands would not be overlooked. This would be a valuable encouragement of Dominion bands, said Mr. Hainsworth. The engagements would be spread over the best band talent, and each band would probably play for a week.