THE CENTENARY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 169, 18 June 1936, Page 6

THE CENTENARY

CABINET’S AIMS. A NATIONAL MEMORIAL. Per Press Association. V,’ELLINGTON, June 18. The policy decisions of the Government- in the preparations foi the celebration of New Zealand s centenary in 1940 were placed before the National Centennial Committee by the. chairman, Hon. IV. Parry, Mimstei ol Internal Affairs, to-day. The Government, he said, had decided that the event will he celebrated by; (1) Permanent memorials, including a national memorial .to be erected by the Government. (2) A series of historical surveys of the first hundred years of New Zealand’s national life. (3) Suitable celebrations, both national and local, throughout 1940. Apart from the cost of the national memorial and the historical surveys, Mr Parry said, the Government contemplated providing £250,000 for the celebrations. On the question of permanent memorials, Mr Barry said the Government would provide the cost of, and erect, a permanent national memorial. Further than that he could not go at present. Its form was under consideration by the Government and ail announcement would be made in due course. The Government would make provision for subsidising moneys raised locally for memorials that were duly approved. a national committee would-, be ■ set up at an early date ‘to go fully into the question of historical surveys. The Minister visualised a series of works by the most competent authorities m New Zealand on every phase of our national life, written, moreover, for general reading as well as for the purposes of historical record. THE CELEBRATIONS. As to the actual celebrations, the Minister divided these into five classes. (1) The celebrations of events of national importance at places where the events actually occurred. The Waitangi Treaty, at Waitangi, and the proclamation of sovereignty over the South Island at Akaroa were quoted to illustrate what lie meant. (2) Purely local celebrations. This was divisable into: (a) Particular local events, and (b) general celebrations in honour of the centenary. (3) Maori celebrations. (4) The exhibition at Wellington. (5) Special attractions for overseas visitors.

In regard to the expenditure of the £250,UU0 mentioned above, Mr Parry said this provided up to a maximum of £75,000 a loan and subsidy tor the exhibition at Wellington and the balance lor the national celebrations held by the Government itself or by provincial organisations on behalf of the Government, and the subsidising on a £1 lor £3 basis of moneys raised locally for local celebrations or memorials. In addition to all the above, the Government would bear tlie cost of suitably entertaining guests from abroad who were invited by the Government, and would also, between now and 1940, suitably increase the vote of the Tourist and Publicity Department for advertising abroad and providing special tourist attractions. THE WELLINGTON EXHIBITION. In regard to tlie Wellington exhibition, Mr Parry said the Government concurred in tlie view that the exhibition should be hold in Wellington. The Wellington committee fathering die proposal visualised a company with £300,000 capital. To that the Government hau no objection. The committee, however, had asked the Government for assistance to the extent of- £190,000 by a grant and £50,000 by way of share capital. Frankly, it was impossible for the Government to consider financial help on such a scale as that in view of the very large sum it would have to provide in connection with other celebrations and national and local memorials. What the Government was preparedi to do once the company was formed was to make a loan free of interest, not exceeding £25,000, and a subsidy of £1 for £2 of the subscribed share capital up to a limit of £50.000. It must, not be forgotten, he pointed out, that whatever financial help the Government gave would not be the full extent of the Government’s exhibition expenditure. It bad cost the Government of the day £30,000 for the Government’s courts and exhibits at the Dunedin Exhibition, and if the Wellington exhibition was on the same scale at least that- amount would be required in 1940.