THE MAYOR OPPOSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1943, Page 6

THE MAYOR OPPOSES

"QUITE OUT OF PLACE" "We were not asked, as were other centres, to set up a committee to organise a parade, and therefore we have not been immediately concerned with the proposed Victory Parade," said the Mayor (Mr. Hislop) today. "From my own personal point of view such a parade would be quite out of place under present conditions, particularly in view of the thanksgiving service and the gathering at Liberty Corner attended earlier in the week by many thousands of Wellington citizens. The parade cannot be justified; rather should we follow the lead given by Mr. Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Curtin, that this is no time for celebrations, but for thanksgiving and for work." "ANOTHER CIRCUS" The Victory Parade proposal was criticised by Mr. Will , Appleton, National Party candidate for Wellington Central, when speaking in the Methodist Church Hall, Webb Street, last night. "There is no one more in sympathy with properly celebrating victory when it comes than I am," said Mr. Appleton, "but for Heaven's sake let us get the war over and not try to put on another circus by building up the Labour Party at this election at the public's expense." He said that Mr. Churchill had expressed the view that victory celebrations should be reserved for when victory was achieved, and Mr. Curtin had also said that the job was to prosecute the war and not have celebrations at this stage. As one citizen, he protested against the proposal « and the waste of money that would be involved. "TOO LATE" I The Mayor of Lower Hutt, Mr. J. W. Andrews, placed before his council I last evening tentative arrangements he had made for the Victory Parade. The opinion of councillors generally was that such a celebration was now too late, but that if other organisations had rmade arrangements the Mayor should be left with a free hand to co-operate. Mr. Andrews stated today that, after an interview with Hutt Valley.manufacturers -it had been found impracticable to include the Hutt Valley in the celebrations. The various Valley industries would be represented in the Wellington celebrations.