Greymouth Evening Star. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1928. GREYMOUTH’S JUBILEE

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 February 1928, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1928. GREYMOUTH’S JUBILEE

QREYMOUTH’S Diamond Jubilee celebrations begin to-day. under the happiest auspices, and if the weather keeps favourable, the ensuing week should witness a series of happy gatherings that will long be recalled. Pioneers from near and far have returned to the scene of their former labours, and will find a special pleasure in revisiting old places and friends, exchanging reminiscences and opinions. Those of the old brigade who have not been in the borough during the last 20 years or so. will see many signs of progress, and will recognise that on the foundations they well and truly laid, is being erected a town that equals their best Jiopes of the days gone by. The younger Greyinouth people and the many “strangers” now within the gates, will have great pleasure in greeting those who blazed the trail, and will endeavour to prove that they are carrying on the good work'. That is the main of the Jubilee, to take

stock of what has been accomplished

in the past 60 years, and to extract from such achievements, inspiration to make the years to come witness proportionate progress.

The junketings and feastings have their special part in the programme, and fulfil a very useful

purpose, bnl if the .Jubilee spirit begins and stops there, it is questionable whether all the fuss would be worth while. Greymouth grew through public service as well as private enterprise, and unless these two develop together, the borough’s prosperity cannot grow in proportion to the potentialities. Greymouth has never lacked a full quota of enterprising businessmen, but the volunteers for public service are less numerous, though no less qualified. The best possible fruits of the Jubilee would be a reawakening of that.public spirit and civic patriotism that inspires citizens to make their own town as well-equipped and beautiful as possible. Nature has been very kind to these parts, and few towns in the whole Dominion are so beautifully situated as is Greymouth.- From time to time, schemes are ventilated making for a borough beautiful, but the enthusiasm is rarely long-lived sufficiently to obtain the results hoped for. The pioneers were undaunted by the difficulties of their days, although, at times, they must have been harassed and anxious. To-day’s generation must show similar courage, vision and devotion, and prove themselves worthy of their heritage.

Greymouth, with the rest of the West Coast, entered' upon a new era when the Otira Tunnel was opened to traffic. The old isolation has gone for ever, and .with it some of the special characteristics of V- T e,r.t Coasters of earlier days. Those virtues of hospitality to the stranger and desire to help the unfortunate have, however, left their influences, and will long remain a district tradition. With these old qualities must be developed a determination to maintain high standards of civic administration. The responsibilities are great already, and ever-increasing. This borough of about 5000 people has entered into engagements, and must accept others, that might’well make some nervous, but if the pioneers’ difficulties and successes are recalled, this timidity will cease to trouble, and the call to public service will be readily answered. Many speeches will be made during the next few days about. Greymouth’s requirements and progress, but we believe that if the Jubilee celebrations give birth to a greater desire among the borough residents to serve the v borough and the community, the next 60 years will see Greymouth’s welfare advance beyond to-day’s most optimistic hopes. To paraphrase Shakespeare: Nought can make Greymouth rue, if Grevmouth to herself rests true.