DISTRICT NOMENCLATURE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17409, 6 November 1930, Page 8

DISTRICT NOMENCLATURE

(To the Editor of the Herald-) Sir, —I notice in your last issue a letter appears from the pen of Mr. R. T. Kohere, under the title of “A Treasured Misnomer.” I am sorry to have to differ with the reverend gentleman, but I feel that in this instance I am compelled to do so. Your correspondent says: “All the reasons advanced to justify the proposed change, in my opinion, are poor and unconvincing. The namo Poverty Bay, as everybody knows, does not. describe the nature of the district.” It may, sir, he true that many in New Zealand (schoolchildren or adults) know this as he says, and that they have had it explained to them, hut I venture to observe that this is not the case with everyone, even in the Dominion itself. Certainly it is not the case with people dwelling in distant countries of the world. Further on ho remarks “What's in a name, anyway? Call the district Poverty Bay, it would still smell as sweet, so it would still be fertile, and the Kia Ora butter would still be as flavorous.” As regards the butter, it would no doubt bo just as good under one name as another, but as regards the sale of it (which Mr. Kohere must admit is a most important point), it does make a difference. There can he little doubt but that the name does to some extent affect, it. People dwelling in North or South America, China, South Africa, arid even in Great Britain itself, when they see the name or brand “Poverty Bay,” at once conclude, that it is only a, second-rate product. As someone has already pointed out, "not all the explanation in the world will remove the first impression made upon their minds.” It is, I think, safe to say that it. must mean the loss of hundreds, perhaps thousands of pounds annually to this district. Rev. Kohere calls the, name a “Treasured Misnomer.” Well, sir, it may be treasured by some people, £>ut I have found that when speaking to others about it the majority of them expressed no favorable opinion of it. With them it was not a “treasured memory. Personally, I have never objected to the namo Gisborne for our town or city, but I have always disliked the present name of the district. Again T would draw the attention of your readers to the fine address delivered by the Rev. J. K. Elliott at the late Cook Memorial anniversary gathering, in which bo stated lie thought that if Captain Cook were now alive he would not consider the name a suitable one for our fertile province. I sincerely trust, that the movement which has commenced to change the name will continue to gather strength until its object is finally achieved. To retain the name “Poverty Bay” is, to my mind at least, an utter absurdity. —I am. etc., J. 0. CON.