THE CENTENNIAL
NATIONAL CONTROL OF CELEBRATIONS
BILL DISCUSSED IN THE
HOUSE
(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.)
WELLINGTON, September 15,
“I think every member of the House of Representatives will agree that the celebration of our first 100 years is an occasion of signal importance to the Government and the people of the country,” said the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) when moving the second reading of the New Zealand Centennial Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Explaining the provisions of the bill, the Minister said it was necessary that there should be some national control of centennial activities, and the bill made provision for that control. Isolated and sporadic efforts were out of place. It was, above all, a cen-tenni-1 of government, but it was not proposed to organise the celebrations on a bureaucratic basis, as every part of the Dominion was adequately represented on the National Centennial Council, which was the controlling body. Mr W. J. Poison (National, Stratford) emphasised the' necessity for ensuring that visitors from overseas for the centennial should be able to find suitable accommodation. The whole of the licensed hotel system should be placed on a better basis, because visitors were accustomed to much better accommodation than was to be found in .many parts of New Zealand. The Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata (National, Eastern Maori) said that great care should be taken to ensure that the Maori people were adequately represented in the centennial celebrations. The Maori Race “I agree that the organisation should allow the Maori race to play its part fully,” said the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan). “A committee has already been set up to consider the arrangements for a Government court, ahd I think I can assfire members that there will be an appropriate exhibit.” Dealing with the Maori people. Mr Sullivan added that the United Kingdom was taking an interest and would be represented at the exhibition. There would also be exhibits from the various states of Australia.
The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (National, Hurunui) said he had heard that some of the accommodation hcuses had notified their boarders of a likely increase in tariff rates during the exhibition. hoped that would not be general. Mr R. McKeen (Government, Wellington South) said the Wellington City Council had strained its finances to provide facilities for the exhibition; After reading the rebent report on housing \ conditions one wondered where - visitors were going to be accommodated. A statement from those in charge of the arrangements would be welcomed.
Mr Parry, replying, said that an extensive investigation was being made into the housing question, and a report would be made in due course. The whole organisation was working-very smopthly, and he was very T pleased with the progress made so far.
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Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22508, 16 September 1938, Page 12
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468THE CENTENNIAL Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22508, 16 September 1938, Page 12
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