The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1915. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2365, 22 January 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1915. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS

To-day the Oity of Wellington celebrates thp seventy-fifth anhivers-a-ry of ita foundation, and snecin.l interest attaches to the event in view l he 1915 I s ifcs J^ilee £>i £' Christmas time we were celebrating the centenary of the lander, S f MUEL Marsden at the Bay \r. " civilising influence no ' 18 colleagues prepared the way for European settlement and the development of the SS of th ® country; but when .Wellington was founded a quarter of a century later the Maoris still retained a; great measure of their ancient delight in war, and on one occasion the inhabitants of the infant Cl y bad a narrow escape from being slaughtered by Raupabaha, the Maori Napoleon, and his warrior j*and. In those early days the pioneors had. a very anxious time. The dangers and hardships which they laced and overcame would have dismayed less resolute men; but their stout, hearts and strong arms triumphed over all the troubles and disappointments which beset them on every side, and on the foundations which they so well and truly laid tnis great and prosperous Oity has been built up, until now a populawWa nea i" ly c 80 ' 000 P°°P le dwell Where > seventy-five years ago only Maori whafes and a modest cluster of European houses were to be. seen. HaU P L esenfc Station owes a deep debt of gratitude to those earlv settlers. *We have entered into the fruits of their labours. They did not nw. r l ?| y ui n 4 th , eir own immediate fitfnL' j y i also looke d into the tuture, and endeavoured to prepare the days' of greater swV \T -? y , bell6ved to be in ™ro for New Zealand. Wellington's splendid harbour, central position, and bracing climate are no doubt responsible in a great measure for its rapid growth in population and wealth j but the character and enterprise of its citizens are tactors of supreme importance, uiimate and position cannot of themselves make a great city. True greatand lasting prosperity can only u , p , fc he energy and foresight of public-spirited citizens—men and women who take a pride in their nniVu u ar i°r vea^7,!; ? make sacrifices fyfrpLi f i Wellington has been extremely fortunate m having had the ungrudging services of a succession of far-seeing and liberal-minded men who have given their time and thought to its business, and have done their utmost to make it a pleasant place to live in On a tablet in • s Cathedral, erected in memory of Sir Christopher When! its architect, are the words Simonumenturn requiris circumspice—"\l you seek his monument, look around." Ihese words may. well be applied to the makers of Wellington. The reBult of their work is all around us, ? n< L?,® lr most enduring monument is Wellington itself. Their example ought to be an inspiration to the men and women of the present to follow m their steps. We, too, must think of the future. We must make our contribution to the realisation of the noble ideals of those who have gone before us, and we wilji fail in our duty unless we hand the City on to those who will come after ub better than we found it. As citizens we ought to dream dreams and see visions, for we are told that "where there is no vision the people perish." Wealth and comfort are not to be despised—far from it; but they are not the only desirable things. The vision of the city beautiful should always be kept before our eyes. A great advance has already been made m this direction, but much more remains to be done. Every citizen should resolutely set his face against ugliness ana dirt in every shape and form, and throw himself whole-heart-edly into every reasonable movement for the improvement of Wellington. It .is right that we should on such a day as. this bear the achievements of our pioneers in grateful remembrance^and one of the best ways of expressing our gratitude is t 0 carry on their work and endeavour to convert their visions into realities.