TOO MANY CEREMONIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19127, 23 September 1936, Page 4

TOO MANY CEREMONIES

COOK'S LANDING PLACE

VICTORIA LEAGUE REQUEST

BOROUGH COUNCIL REPLY

A suggestion that a ceremony at Cook's landing place every year tended to cheapen the historical associations was made at last night's meeting of the Gisborne Borough Council, when a letter from the Victoria League was before the meeting. The league asked that the Borough Council should organise the function next month, but it was decided to reply that it was not the council's duty to do this. The letter was from the president of the league, Miss A. L. Kees, who wrote that at a meeting of the. league, she was instructed to write warmly congratulating the council on the suggestions made to the Government that Gisborne should have a special place of honour in the centennial programme as being the first landing place of -Captain- Cook.

"We wish the council every success in the matter," the letter continued, "and feel that the application would carry more weight if Gisborne gave practical evidence of a local pride in this unique distinction.

"We suppose that as usual you will arrange a function at the Cook Monument to mark the 167th anniversary of the event on Thursday, October 8. May we suggest that the ceremonyshould be not only carefully planned in co-operation with other local bodies, but that arangements should be made with the press agency for good reports throughout the Dominion and even overseas, as the historical interest is as wide as the Empire.

"This society will lay a wreath, but it is only fitting that the organisation and speeches should be by representatives of the general public.''

The Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., did" not think it was the Borough Council's duty. He had taken part in a number of similar functions, and at times had been the principal speaker; he had just about come to the end of his tether. .Some councillors had expressed the belief that an annual observance cheapened the gathering, and suggested that it should be held only once in five years. The atondances of recent years, at least, were small, and had it not been for the attendance of school children there would have been practically nobody there. On the Mayor's motion it was decided to reply to the league that the council did not believe that it was its duty to organise the function. BEAUTIFICATION PLANS COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME The formulation of a comprehensico scheme for the beautification of the Cook Memorial at Kaiti Beach, the spot where Captain Cook, first set foot on New Zealand soil, was suggested at the Gisborne Borough. Council's meeting last night. At the previous meeting, a plan was submitted by the Gisborne and District Beautifying Association for the planting of trees and shrubs around and near the monument, in preparation for the centennial year, and the proposals -were referred to the reserves committee. The committee recommended last night that no planting should be unlertaken until a comprehensive scheme could be agreed upon, and suggested a meeting between the council, the Gisborne Harbour Board and other bodies interested for the purpose of discussing the matter.

Cr. D. S. Thompson said that it was too late this year to do any planting.

It was decided to call a conference a 3 soon as possible so as to be ready for next year s programme.