DOMINION CENTENARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 7

DOMINION CENTENARY

PLANS FOR CELEBRATION GOVERNMENT GIVES A LEAD (From Our ‘Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 9. The assistance which the Government will give towards the celebration of New Zealand’s centenary in 1940 in relation to the various plans prepared for the occasion and other relevant matters will be Considered at a meeting of the National Centennial Committee in Wellington on June 18, The committee was appointed last March at a conference called by* the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr W. E. Parry), and comprises Mr Parry, the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. G. Sullivan), the Mayors of Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and the permanent heads of the Departments of Internal Affairs and Industries aud Commerce,

There is a great deal to be done so that the celebrations will reflect the national spirit of the country.” said Mr Furry to-day. “Although the work of Parliament has kept us all busy, the promotion of the centenary celebrations has not been allowed to drop behind in any way. Almost daily since the initial conference in March there has been some feature of the celebrations under consideration.

“ The Cabinet, too, has not infrequently been dealing with th? project,” Mr Parry said. "Eventually, a committee of the Cabinet, consisting of the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash), Mr Sullivan, and myself, was set up to put into writing practical proposals for the celebrations. This committee has been on the job for some time. Its written report has been carefully considered by the Cabinet as a whole, and the result has now to be referred to the National Committee. When that body has considered the proposals I think a definite course can be set for arranging the celebrations-.”