A CIVIC JUBILEE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 12

A CIVIC JUBILEE

GREYMOUTH EN FETE On Tuesday last Greymonlh celebrated its civic jubilee in an impressive manner. Though the weal her in the morning was bleak and blustery, the sun burst out at noon, and shed a golden radiance over the scene. The shipping in port and nearly every building in town sported bunting. There was 11 procession of pioil?ers and school children, and in the course of a fund ion hold in front of the Town Hall the Hon. .loseph Grimmond delivered an address. Messrs. W. H. Parfitt (Acting-Mayor), 31. Willing, F. tSaiTowman (pioneers), and the Hon. Mr. Michel also gave addresses eulogising the character of the men who had made the AVest Coast a birthplace in New Zealand of chivalry and manliness—men who should serve the growing generation as models on which to base their characters. Telegrams from all parts of the Dominion were received and read by the chairman (Mr. G. E, Perkins). That from the Acting-Prime Minister was as follows:—"IIearly congratulalions to the citizens of Greymoulh on this the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of their borough. ' 1. hope that your jubilee celobrations will be- as successful as they deserve to be." During the nftmioon an illuminated address and a gold medal were presented to Mr. Alfred Ashton, who was the first baby born in the liorough of Greymouth. The handing over of the medal by Ihe ".linirmiin (Mr. G. E. Perkins) was' the signal for a burst, of applause. In the course of his remarks the Hon. Mr. Michel said in reviewing the past Hint the real pioneering work hnd been dono prior to IS6B. The mothers of the old boys of to-day had done their part nobly. He referral to the great progress made in the past fifty years, but great and all as it was, if the boys and the girls of the present do their part as (lid the old pioneers, they might be nble to look back fifly years'hence and say I hat they had made even greater progress than the pioneers of fifty years <igo. He believed the hole in the' hill would materially increase the prosperily of Greymouth. In conclusion, Mr. Michel congratulated the chairman and ludience for the great reception. He hoped that the old pioneers picsent would be snared for some years lo enjoy good lealtli, and hoped that Greymouth' would be blessed with greater prosperity during the next fifty years. The proceeding's were'continued in the wning wivu a eiooke. conceit held in Hie Druids' Hall, which was far too small to accommodate even all the pioneers and old boys, not to mention the citizens of to-day.