NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1930. WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1930, Page 4

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY

TUESDAY, MAY 6, 1930. WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Registered for Transmission Through the Post as a Newspaper.

Shakespeare asks: ‘ 1 What’s in a name?” and then says that “a rose called by any other name would smell as sweet.” This is quite true, but another phrase from Shakespeare may be parodied to give the real answer to | the question: ‘‘The name’s the thing.” A good naiVe is of value beyond rubies, and a bad name, even if it be undeserved, is the bar sinister. To quote an old saying, one might as well drown a dog as give him a bad name. But there are ways in which names are of great importance even if they be neither good nor bad. They servo to identify people, places and things. If the nomenclature be not happily chosen much injury may be inflicted, or, to put it another way, much merit may be hidden or even lost. The influence of a name' is deep and abiding. Who, for instance, does not imagine th.e Bay of Plenty district as a more desirable place of residence than Poverty Bay? It may be that there are inherent differences in soil and climate, though that will be strongly questioend by the people of the east coast, but there is no doubt that the reiteration of the name. Poverty Bay made an impress on the imagination of past generations, just as Bay of Plenty suggested a land flowing with milk and honey. These are but two Instances of many which will present: themselves to the minds of men and women. Then theie is the bad influence of names which embrace large areas of one country, or even link up different countries. There is the example of ‘‘Australasia,” which, until recent years, was generally used when Australia and New Zealand wore concerned. It ’• common knowledge that, because of the use of the word ‘‘Australasia” n largo number of people in Britain, apart altogether’ from the inhabitants of foreign countries, regarded New Zealand as being part of Australia. There is the story told—and it is typical of many—of the London postmistress who declared that no mail went to New Zealand, Finally,- when her attention was drawn to an advertisement which stated that a mail went out on a certain day each fortnight, she said “Oh, yes, there is a mail for Australia, but none for New Zealand.” Coming nearer home, there is the experience of Wanganui, "which, in the early days, was the administrative centre of an area extending to Taranaki on the north, and the Mlanawatu on the south, as well as far inland. In thoge days the mentally sick were sent by steamer from Wanganui to .Wellington, and the newspapers -of the latter city were in the habit of recording, each time an. unfortunate sufferer arrived, “another lunatic from Wanganui,” despite the fact, that the patient may have hailed from anywhere within 50 or 00 miles of the district. The repetition of such a 'statement in the Wellington press cast upon Wanganui for many years an imputation as false as it was unfair. Such, however, is the effect of an all embracing name. Of course, there is another side to the question. The name given I to a large area may unduly benefit the 'central authority or community at the expense of districts far afield in. that the real value of the district—its output, contribution to the national wealth, and so on —is not. known, being included in general statistics. In this connection, it has often occurred to us that the- territory which, lies north of Auckland is affected detrimentally by the name “North Auckland.” With the exception of those who have made a study of the question, or know differently from personal experience, the name “North Auckland” suggests that the great peninsula which forms the “ton of Now Zealand” is merely a suburb or rural appendage of Auckland city. Especially is this belief likely to exist overseas, It is not unnatural that this should bo so; indeed, there is ample suggestion, in tlio names of local bodies, societies and institutions, to warrant such belief. The time has: arrived, we think, when the northern peninsula should be given a distinctive name. “Northland,” for instance, would seem to meet the case, but there are probably other names, Maori or j Pakeha, which xvould fittingly desig- j natc a territory destined to occupy a 1 prominent place in the history of the j Dominion, and, at the same time, in-

dicate to the world that it is an entity

separate and distinct. We will be glad to give publicity to the views of our readers upon a subject which is of real importance to this territory.