GALA DAY AT BULLS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 167, 14 June 1940, Page 5

GALA DAY AT BULLS.

OPENING OF REST ROOMS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) BULLS, June 13. Wednesday was a gala day in Bulk on the occasion of the opening of the Centennial Rest and Plunket Rooms by Hon. H. T. Armstrong (Minister of Health). Situated in Lower High Street, the building is convenient for townspeople and for others from the country, or motoring through, and it occupies a sunny position, with rooms for visitors and the Plunket nurse who visits Bulls on sale days, 'the structure will serve a long-felt want in the disti let. Gathered in front of the building were Hon. 11. T. Armstrong; Mr J. E. Walker (chairman of the - Bulk Town Board); Mr E. ]3. Gordon, M.P. for Ilangitikci; Mr Jas. Bull, of Huntervdlc .(after whose father the town was.named); Mr H. H. Richardson, Ilangitikci County clerk; Mr A. K. Drew, Manawatu County clerk; Mr G. J. Fitzpatrick, of Feilding. representing the committee of Zone E of the Centennial body; Mr J. IL. Stevens, of Palmerston North, one of the earliest living residents of Bulk; other old residents and local citizens; also Mrs Jas. Bull (president) and Mrs L. J. Thompson (secretary) of the Huntervillc Plunket Society; Mrs Tidy (president) and Miss Cook (secretary) of the Marton Centre of the Plunket Society; Mrs E. B. Gordon (Marton); Nurse Richmond (Marion); Mrs A. 'I. Shaw (president) and other members of the committee of the Bulls branch of the Society. Mr Walker expressed pleasure at so many people accepting invitations to he present and welcomed Hon. 11. T. Armstrong, “an old boys of Bulk’ ; Mr Bull, after whose late father Bulls township had been named; and Mr Stevens, who had been attaehed to the local Post Office stall in the early 60’s. He thanked Mr Gordon, M.P.. for the assistance which ho had given to the project, and regretted the unavoidable absence of Mr 1. L. Keddon, who had also helped considcrauTy. The rooms had been financed by public subscription, he said, over £4OO being received in this way; and a baby carnival had brought in an additional £350. In the latter respect he thanked the Maoris for the interest they had shown towards the success of the Maori baby. A Government subsidy had completed the cost, and the building was now vested m the Town Board, so that it might be carried on without- end. Mrs M. Mansell kindly donated the building site, and Mr Walker thanked her lor her generous action. Mr E. B. Goraon, M.P., said that it was a pleasure to attend on such an auspicious occasion He took the opportunity to welcome the Minister of Health to the j district. Mr Fitzpatrick apologised for j the absence of Mr Seddon, and also j congratulated the executive and towns- j people on their appropriate memorial.. Mr Armstrong said ho was present in I his official capacity as Minister of Health, but Mr Walker reminded him that he : was also Minister of Housing and wanted j to know when the Government would i build some houses in Bulls. At present, ho said, Government houses were being erected in 130 towns in New Zealand, and somo time ago - land had been purchased in Bulb, for the erection of six dwellings. The Government was prepared to supply the land and the materials, but the difficulty was to get men to build bouses at prices considered satisfactory by the engineers. It was a strange thing, ho said, that tenders for houses in Bulls were about £2OO higher than in other I towns. However, the department would do its best to secure men and go on with the work. (Applause.) He referred to the very fine building which they were opening that day, adding that it was a 4 fitting memorial, the care of mothers and children being of paramount importance. He quoted figures showing the in (ho death rate of babies under one year, arid of the mothers of babies since Lbe late Sir Truby King had commenced his humanitarian work in 1907, and said that the founder of the Plunket movement had carved a name for hirpself vhich would live for ever in the Do'min- ; on. (Applause.) Ho added that the Health Department was now supplying free nolle to 211,400 school children, and he thought that fruit, which was often left to rot under trees, could also be supplied, making for the improved health and physique of the growing generation. The dental service was another splendid thing in schools, and last year the department had spent £84,500 in this service. Social security benefits had now hcen extended to mothers and babies in Karitane Homes, irrespective of subsidies granted to these institutions. Subsequently members of the Bulls Plunket Society and other ladies provided afternoon tea when, following the National Anthem, Mr Bull returned thanks on behalf of his wife and himself for the invitation to attend the, gathering, and said that, although they were no longer residents of Bulls, they still had a very warm spot for the township. The last occasion on which he had spoken in the Town Hall was 25 years ago. when they were going through the gloc / y days o.f 1914-18. and he well remembered the great effort by which £16,000 was raised for the benefit of those boys who were away fighting, so that we could live. (Cheers.) Ilis late father, he said, had seen four wars, including the Maori war, and he had hoped lie would not have seen a second one, even greater and more deadly than 1914-18. “We are up against, not a man, but a fanatic,” he said, “and allhough I do not wish to introduce politics, I ask you to forget vour differences, and to join hand in hand and make every effort to overthrow a tyrant, so that we may still live under the flag- of freedom.” (Cheers.) Mr Bull said he was pleased io be 4 associated with old friends such as Messrs Armstrong and Walker, and it was a standing testimonial to the class of timber milled in this district that the houses which all three lived in here so many years ago were still standing, and were in occupation. Mr Bull paid tribute to the late Mr F. Mansell. who had introduced electricity to Bulls long before many other towns received it. and asked the chairman to accept a cheque on behalf of Mrs Bull and himself. (Applause.) In accepting the donation Mr Walker said that it was not tho first which Mr and Mrs Bull hod made to the funds. Mr Stevens recalled that ho was the first telegraph messenger in Bulls, and lie referred to many old friends, now 'past, among the number being Messrs Jas. Bull, sonr., J. McKclvie. J. Wicks, and A, A'mon. He told amusing anecdotes of the early days in Bulls, and was warmly cheered on concluding.