OTAGO CENTENNIAL

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4717, 15 November 1945, Page 2

OTAGO CENTENNIAL

A meeting of representatives of local bodies was hold in the County Chambers to discuss • what action should be taken in the district towards proposals for a suitable celebration of the centennial of Otago. The meeting was convened by Mr D. H. Cockburn, chairman of the Lake County Council. Those present were Messrs D .0. Aubrey, T. E. Bryant, (Lake County Council), Dr Anderson, Messrs D. W. Thompson and Sew Hoy (Borough Council). The chairman said that opinion varied as to whether memorials should bo erected in each centre or whether there should be one suitable central memorial in Dunedin, representative of the whole province. Ho did not think local memorials would be of the same value. The centennial meeting which was held in Dunedin asked the delegates to obtain the views of their various areas.

Dr Anderson said that from expressions of opinion of his council it was doubtful if the establishment of a memorial in Dunedin Would receive wholehearted support. Alost of their institutions were controlled from the Southland capital with which there was more community of interest.

The chairman admitted the position was a peculiar one. Dunedin, however, made a claim on this district because it was attached to Otago province lathe earlier days.

Mr Aubrey said he thought Lake County and the boroughs should pull in with the Otago Centennial project as the district in the first instance was controlled by Otago Provincial Council and Dunedin was the centre. ilr Bryant said the Head of Lake was more interested in Southland than Otago.

Dr Anderson said their hands were lied and his council would not commit itself to subscribe to the amount of finance originally asked from the district, namely £6OOO. He thought it would be better to call a public meeting aud ascertain the feeling of the people.

The chairman agreed that public meetings might be advisable to ascertain the feelings of the people, also wdiat form a memorial should take and the finance required. Mr Thompson said Southland would be holding a centenary soon and they must decide now which centenary they wore going to support. He thought they were definitely in Otago. After further discussion it was resol\ ed that the public bodies be asked to give some lead to the delegates appointed to attend the next centennial meeting in Dunedin.