CENTENNIAL PLAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20074, 21 October 1939, Page 4

CENTENNIAL PLAN

NAVY CANNOT HELP DECISION DUE TO WAR ALTERNATIVES INVITED PROVINCIAL COUNCIL An announcement that no naval assistance could be afforded in connection with centennial celebrations in New Zealand raised a new problem in the path of the East Coast Provincial Centennial Council, which at its monthly meeting yesterday afternoon asked its celebrations committee to suggest alternative means of carrying out the Cook’s landing reproduction, which is a major feature of the plans for next year’s festivities in this district.

Those present were the Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., chairman, Colonel R'. F. Gambrill, Messrs. J. H. Hall, F. R. Ball, A. G. Hicks, H. L. Tempest, I. J. Quigley, Jas. Chrisp, R. P. Baigent, T. Todd, F. T. Robinson, M. J. White, G. Burns, and W. M. Jenkins, secretary.

Inward correspondence included a notification from the national council that owing to the war the navy would not be able to co-operate in centennial celebrations in any part of New Zealand.—The notice was formally received.

The national council asked for a list of memorial projects in the district, with a note as to whether these works would be carried out. The list was required in connection with the approval of architectural plans for specific projects.

Mr. Todd said that preparations were rather in the air, since it was impossible to say what money would be available. Hollywood Bowl Project’ It was decided to indicate that the Hollywood bowl at the Waikanae Beach was an approved project, the immediate prosecution of which was doubtful in view of the monetary situation. The centennial campaign committee forwarded a recommendation that all centennial work at the Waikanae Beach should be put under one board of control.

Colonel Gambrill, in respect of this recommendation, pointed ’ out that eventually it would be necessary to unify control of the three separate sections of beach development work.

The Mayor commented that that time would come, undoubtedly. He understood that there was no immediate concern on that score, however. He believed that the Gisborne Thirty Thousand Club would carry on the marine drive? as far as it could, and then hand it over to the Gisborne Borough Council. The Waikanae Park already was vested in the council, and the development committee was merely carrying out the work on the park.

Colonel Gambrill considered that time should not be lost in evolving some scheme for unified control of the three sections. The campaign did not wish to dictate to anyone, but it was considered that the views of the respective committees should be invited.

Existing Bodies Working Smoothly

Mr. Todd, chairman of the Waikanae Park Development Committee, commented that unified control was recognised as being necessary eventually, but for the time being things seemed to be going very well, and it might be wiser n*t to disturb the position in the meantime.

A letter from the finance committee of the Gisborne Thirty Thousand Club recommended that certain sections on the Waikanae Beach should be purchased, partly by means of a donation of £l5O made by Mr. R. J. Kerridge to the Thirty Thousand Club, and a further sum available from the club’s funds.

The secretary reported that the council already had decided to purchase certain land for access to the marine drive.

Colonel Gambrill reminded the council that there should be safeguards against the future use of the land for purposes other than those held in view at the moment. He moved that the Gisborne Borough Council be asked to accept the trust of the land for centennial purposes.

On the motion of Mr. F. R. Ball, it was decided that Colonel Gambrill and the secretary should draw up a general scheme to cover the trust.

The Waiapu County Council advised that Mr. R. G. Sherwood-Hale had 'been granted leave of absence while on active service, and that Mr. A. G. Hicks, county clerk, had been appointed in his place as the council’s representative on the Provincial Centennial Council. —The advice was received and Mr. Hicks was welcomed, as also was Mr. J. H. Hall. £I4OO Received to Date The hon. treasurer, Mr. M. J. White, submitted a statement showing that finance raised to date for centennial purposes now represented £I4OO, and it was recommended that an application for Government subsidy amounting to £460 13s 4d be made. The recommendation was adopted.

Mr. Todd mentioned, in a report on the work proceeding at the Waikanac Park, that No. 13 scheme men engaged on this work had made a second donation, amounting to £3 10s, to the cost of the work. The donation was a handsome one, said Mr. Todd, and he asked that the centennial council should acknowledge it suitably. It was agreed that this should be done.

In connection w v ilh a national thanksgiving day, devoted to centennial sentiment, it was decided that the Ministers’ Association be invited to indicate what form the celebration should take

On the motion of Mr. Todd, the council approved a change of name for Waikanae Park, which in future will be known as Centennial Park. On the motion of Mr. Jas. Chrisp, the council recommended the celebrations committee to endeavour in every way to assist in the success of the Poverty Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s Centennial Show next month, one-quarter of the proceeds of which function would be donated to the district centennial funds. The celebrations committee also was asked to make recommendations as to the best means of overcoming the difficulty raised by the impossibility of the navy giving aid in the representation of Cook’s landing at Gisborne.