TEMPORARY HALT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20035, 6 September 1939, Page 4

TEMPORARY HALT

CENTENNIAL EFFORT DECISION BY COUNCIL POSITION UNDER REVIEW FUND FOR PATRIOTIC WORK Until the Provincial Centennial Council has had an opportunity of reviewing the position, no new efforts to raise funds for the centennial objectives will be initiated in the Gisborne district. It is hoped that within a few weeks, at the most, the war situation will have'become clarified, and that it will be possible to say- whether "*• normal activities can t be carried on in the Dominion. A suggestion that the queen carnival campaign should be abandoned, or as an alternative that it should be carried on and the proceeds devoted to patriotic purposes, was discussed by the Provincial Centennial Council last evening. The decision was held over, committees being invited to complete arrangements npw in hand for various functions, and to pause in their activities until advised by the council as to the future programme.

Those at the -meeting were Messrs, D. W. Coleman, M.P., chairman, R. F. Gambrill, Chas. Matthews, R. P. Baigent, M. J. White, Jas. Chrisp, A. J. Nicol, T. Todd, F. R. Ball, R. Morse, I. J. Quigley, W. Kohn, and W. M. Jenkins, town clerk. Government Gives a Lead The Mayor reminded the meeting ‘ that, on the previous day it had been decided to await a full statement of the Government’s wishes in regard to the centennial, before deciding on the local course. The Acting-Prime Minister had made a statement through the press in 'which he expressed the desire that these activities should proceed, at least for the present. - - His own opinion; said Mr. Coleman, was that the district council should carry on. He recognised that this would be difficult, especially in the next week or two, tout it would . not be wise to abandon the work altogether. Mr. F. R. Ball agreed with the Mayor, and said that while there might be difficulty in carrying on, it Would be inadvisable to throw away all the work already done. 'He recognised that some of the committees' had become anxious to devote the proceeds of their queen carnival effort, for 'instance, to patriotic purposes, blit he thought that the carnival should be completed at least. Later, the question of further effort could be reviewed. If the war went on, as he feared it Would, he could not imagine . the hearts of the public being in any centennial celebrations. The present might prove >to toe the worst period of all, nevertheless, and he thought -it would he unwise to abandon the campaign definitely. Returned Soldiers’ Sentiment 'Mr. Gamtoriil agreed with much of what -Mr. Ball had said," but he felt that what efforts they could exert should toe devoted to patriotic purposes. He realised that it might seem best, to the Government, to have normal activities carried on as far as possible, but he knew the feelings of the returned soldiers, for instance, and he was sure that they would not feel like promoting festivities for non-patriotic objects, when men were being killed in action overseas. He believed that would be the reaction,- too, of the peb.ple from whom support would be forthcoming in normal times. There was no occasion to abandon the centennial plans, added Mr. Gambrill, but he felt that they would be deferred until they,. could be carried forward under more propitious circumstances. Funds raised so far could be reserved for centennial purposes, and perhaps they could be used fbr that later. He was sure the returned soldiers would wish to know that funds raised from now on would be for patriotic purposes.. The Mayor commented that he had formed similar opinions. To try ' to prbceed now, while the public’s thoughts were concentrated on the war situation, woulcl be inviting failure. The situation might be clearer in two or three weeks, he thought. Hi,s advice was to do nothing for two or three weeks, but not to abandon hope Of going on When things settled down. - Restrictions on Use of Cars .Mr. T. Todd stated that that Was precisely the feeling among those he had consulted. The restrictions on the use of cars were a sufficient reason for holding up the plans,-he considered. The urgency of a decision as :to immediate plans was emphasised by Mr. W. Kohn, who said that the queen carnival committees wanted .a lead. There was a definite feeling thht the funds raised from, now on should be devoted to patriotic purposes, and one committee had suggested that it would not be prepared to go on otherwise. The Mayor suggested that the council should not make a hasty decision, as if it proved later that the money would be needed for patriotic work, there should be no difficulty about having it released. After a further discussion, in which Messrs. Chrisp, White, Quigley and , R. P. Baigent took part, it was moved by Mr. Gambrill that the centennial efforts be not abandoned, but that the situation should be reviewed shortly, and a decision made in the light of events developing in the next two or three weeks; that functions now arranged should be proceeded with; and that no new functions be organised pending an announcement by the Centennial Council.

This motion was seconded by Mr. Baigent. and Carried unanimously. It was agreed that work on, the Waikanae foreshore should proceed, and also the preparation of the historical review. At a meeting this morning of the campaign committee which is conducting the centennial queen carnival, the following motion was carried: —> “That in view of the lead given by the Government and in. the ActingPrime Minister’s message published yesterday, the queen carnival committee affirms the principle that the carnival should be carrie'd on as at present to finality.” A dance arranged in aid of the sports queen candidate, and to be held to-morrow night, is one of the functions which will be proceeded with.