LEVIN AS HEADQUARTERS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 June 1947, Page 4

LEVIN AS HEADQUARTERS

PROPOSEH MANAWATU MARCHING CENTfeE Residents of Levin and the . Horowhenua district generally wiil be pleased to learn- that Levin has been proposed as the headquarterS. of the Manawatu Centre of the New Zealand Marching and Recreation Association. • . Owing to the growing popularity of girls' marching teams, the New Zealand executive sought the views of associations on the proposal that both Islands should be divided into centres, and set up a committee ,to bring down proposals to piace before the executive for consideration. A Manawatu Centre, with liead•quarters at Palmerston North was proposed, but this was changed tb Levin after a very good argument had been put forward by Mr. R. J. Davies, the Horowhenua Associatioil's resident delegate, who had the backing of the Mayor -of Levin, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, the Mayor Of Shannon, Mr. R. E. Downes, Mr. J. J. Maher, M.P„ and the Levin Jiinior Chamber of Commerce, all of whom sent .strong telegrams of pfotest at the headquarters being outside Levin. The action of these gentlemen and the Levin Junior Chamber in particular is to be commended. Broadly the boundaries of the Manawatu Centre are: Paekakariki exclusive to Marton exclusive to Woodville exclusive, yyith central headquarters at Levin. There are 19 proposed centres in all, ten in the North and.nine in the South Island. These centres are only a recommendation which will be placed before the annual general meeting of the association, to be held in Wellington in August, and until they are ratified nothing can be done ih the matter. No doubt when these proposals are placed before this meeting they will be very thoroughly discussed before being accepted, and that is the place where the Horowhenua Association will have to put up a very sound argument to see that Levin rerhains the headquarters of the Manawatu Centre. The first steps have been decided in the Horowhenua Association's favour, and with the backing of the Levin Junior Chamber and other interested bodies their efforts should be successfuk