GISBORNE’S JUBILEE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3818, 17 May 1927, Page 51

GISBORNE’S JUBILEE.

REVIEW OF THE PAST.

A RECORD OF PROGRESS.

GISBORNE, .May 11. In opening (he Winter Show this even-

ing in connection with the jubilee of Gisborne, the Hon. R. F. Bollard gave some interesting particulars of the town. Gisborne, lie said, was first constituted a borough on May 12, 1877. At that date it had a population of a little over 1000 from which it had grown to 14,130 at the latest census. The borough and the suburbs beyond the borough boundaries < f the Gisborne urban area had a population of 15,148. making it the twelfth town in New Zealand. Except for a brief interval, during the great economic depression of the nineties Gisborne had forged considerably ahead. In the last 25 years it had increased its population nearly fivefold. In 1878 Gisborne’s 1204 inhabitants were housed in 250 wooden dwellings. Now it required nearly 3000 private dwellings, besides hotels, institutions, etc. In the last half-dozen years the building activity had represented a total of £750,000. The borough of Gisborne has a gross capital value of £5,657,000, and on the unimproved value of £2,444,000. In the last 20 years the unimproved value had increased nearly fivefold, and the capital value sixfold. “I understand that the revenue of the borough is now in excess of £lOO,OOO per annum,” he said. “During 1926 63 overseas vessels of a net tonnage of 217,552 entered the port, in addition to 509 coastal vessels of a net tonnage of 108,954. The shipping cleared from the port in 1926 amounted to 587 vessels of 327,416 tons. The tonnage of the cargo handled at the port in 1926 was: Inward 77,186 outward 35,195, and so it will be seen that Gisborne is endowed with progress and prosperity.”

A SPECTACULAR PROCESSION

GISBORNE, Mi. 12:

Gisborne was en fete to-day on the occasion of the c lebration of the jubilee of the borough and the Cook County. From an early hour onwards the town was thronged with visitors from all parts of the East Coast. The main street was lavishly decorated with bush, shrubs, tree ferns, and nikau palms, and in several

places the sidewalks bore a resemblance to scenes in a dense bush. A huge jubilee arch of four spans was erected at the corner of Peel street and Gladstone road, and presented a very imposing sight. The proceedings started with a thanksgiving service in the Botanical Gardens/ after which the pioneers of Gisborne were entertained at luncheon, nearly 300 being present. Many distant parts of New Zealand were represented by old residents who had returned for the jubilee. Brief addresses were delivered by the Mayor (Mr C. E. Armstrong), Mr K. Matthews (chairman of the Cook County Council), Mr W. D. Lysnar, M.P., Mr T. Corson (ex-chairman of the Chamber of Commerce), and the Hon. R. F. Bollard. In his address Mr Bollard said the primary industries of the Dominion were in a fairly secure position, and the secondary industries were-gradually growing. The Government had a lot to do to overcome such troubles as existed, for there were so many contradictory demands. There was a general call for cheaper money, but his experience was that cheaper money meant the inflation of land values. The country had been living rather too highly. Everybody was doing it. There was about £7,000,000 spent on cars and petrol last year, and that was too big a drain on the finances. While that money was going out of the Dominion, it left too little for the development of the primary industries. As the people grew older they would get more sense, and, perhaps, as they did they would learn how to curtail their extravagance in this regard. He wished the pioneers the best of health for as many years as they wished. A feature of the afternoon’s proceedings was a spectacular procession, in which were included, in addition to the pioneers, local bodies, lodges, Territorials, cadets, huge Maori canoes, poi and haka teams, pack horses, bullock teams, and old-time methods of transport, decorated cars and vehicles, etc. The procession proceeded to the Oval, where a sports programme was held before an attendance estimated at 5000, the programme comprising Rugby and Association games, gymnastic exhibitions, cycle racing, and Maori poi dancing. In the evening the streets were gaily illuminated, and the pioneers were entertained at an old-time social at which hundreds of pioneers and their descendants were present.