WELLINGTON CENTENNIAL COURT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 190, 13 August 1938, Page 11

WELLINGTON CENTENNIAL COURT

GRANT BY MANAWATU COUNTY SUM OF £199 PASSED (From Our Own Correspondent) SANSON, Aug. 10. Following a debate, the ManawaLu County Council, at its meeting yesterday, agreed to make a contribution o£ £199 towards the cost of the Wellington Provincial Court at the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition. Reporting to the meeting on the recent conference at Feilding on the subject of representation on the executive of the Wellington provincial committee of the Centennial Exhibition, Mr. A. K. Drew, county clerk, said that the Mayor of Feilding had been appointed delegate. The general feeling of the meeting, he said, was that there should be some brake put on the expenditure, as it appeareu that in so far as expenditure was concerned, the sky was the limit. It appeared to the chairman that the council should come to a decision on the question of the contribution it was to make. The contribution asked for was £199. Cr. A. R. Wilson, said that it appeared that the majority of local bodies had agreed to the allocation and he did not see how the county couid stand out. Cr. D. W. Reid expressed the view that, if the council agreed to make a contribution towards the cost of the exhibition, then it should also make a straight out grant of £205 for the Mt. Stewart Memorial. The chairman said that the council would first deal with the allocation towards the cost of the exhibition. The other issue could be dealt with later. The council had something more than roads and bridges to consider, said Cr. J. H. Perrett in proposing that the council make a grant of £l9j towards the cost of the provincial court. It was up to the council to play its part in the observance ol the centenary of the country. Cr. Reid seconded the motion. Cr. Jas. Boyce was opposed to the idea of the council spending the ratepayers’ money on an exhibition that had nothing to do with the county. The county’s roads and birdges were not in that condition to justify an expenditure of almost £2OO on an exhibition in Wellington. Cr. Wilson disagreed with the previous speaker, stating that the centennary was a national affair and the council was fully justified in making the proposed grant. Cr. W. E. Pearce also stressed the national aspect of the celebrations and said that there was no doubt that the exhibition would influence many visitors to New Zealand. In reJgard to the local memorial, he felt i that this was not a matter for he council, but one for local and individual effort. Cr. A. N. Morcom thought that the authorities were going a bit too far in the matter of expenditure. He would, however, agree to the council making a grant provided other local bodies came in. “Don’t you think they are spending too much on the exhibition Mi Chairman?” asked Cr. Boyce. “No I don’t,” replied the chairman. “I really think that this is in the interests of New Zealand, and is the greatest educational venture the country has ever entered upon.” Cr. Perrett reiterated that the celebrations would be of the utmost importance to the country and he was in entire agreement with the idea ol | the council making the grant. ; The motion was put to the meetin f ; land carried, Cr. Boyce being the only I dissentient. j “I'm sorry, Cr. Boyce, that you do I not see eye to eye with us on this (important question,” said the chairiman. | “I’ve always been opposed to this sort of thing,” said Cr. Boyce.