CENTENNIAL PLAN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 4 November 1939, Page 14

CENTENNIAL PLAN

POVRRTY BAY HISTORY PUBLICATION APPROVED DISTRICT COUNCIL MEETS WAI KAN All PARK GATES Outstanding among the decisions taken at a meeting of the Poverty Bay-East Coast Provincial Centennial Council, held yesterday afternoon, was that by which the council approved an expenditure of up to £4OO on the publication of a district historical book, the preparation of which has been in the hands of a special research committee for the past two years. The council committed itself to the provision of the necessary finance on the ground that the publication must be published in whole, or not at all.

Those present at the meeting were Mesdames W. A. McCliskie and G. A. Nichoils, Messrs. M. J. White, R. P. Baigent, F. Tolerton, A. J. Nicol, F. T. Robinson, A. F. Hicks, I. J. Quigley, Jas. Chrisp, T. Todd, J. IT. Hail, IT. L. Tempest, K. Te Hau, W. Kohn, W. S. Wauchop. Canon A. F. Hall, and the Revs. F. E. Leadley and K. Liggett, with Mr. W. M. Jenkins, town clerk and secretary.

In tlie absence of the Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P., Mr. IVL J. White was elected to the chair and offered a. welcome to Mr. W. S. Wauchop, director of the centennial pageantry, and the representatives of the Gisborne Ministers’ Association.

The chairman asked what proposals were prepared for a centennial thanksgiving service?

Thanksgiving on January 7

Canon Hall stated that all members of the association had agreed to cooperate in a special service drawn up by the Bishop of Waiapu, the Rt. Rev. G. V. Gerard. It was proposed to hold the service at Holy Trinity on the afternoon of January 7, and to arrange for relays of the service to be made to the parish hall and the City Hall, if necessary. Local bodies and other organisations were invited to attend and co-operate in the service. Tlie chairman thanked Canon Hall for his statement, and assured the Ministers' Association that the council would co-operate and would invite co-operation from all local bodies and other organisations. The council was asked to agree to the terms of a dedication of lands purchased by the council to the Gisborne Borough Council, acceptance of the terms being signified, on the motion of Mr. Baigent. Writing on the subject of centennial historical publications, the National Centennial Council advised that it had been decided that local bodies wishing to do so would be authorised to make special grants for such publications, on the condition that such grants be refunded pro rata out of the proceeds of sales of the historical publications. Substantial Costs Involved Mr. L. Adams, representing the district historical committee, gave an outline of the recent work of the committe, and pointed out that the question now arose as to financing the publication, since it must be provided for wholly or not at all. It was calculated that a publication selling at 7s Cd per copy would sell more readily than a dearer work, and that, after making allowance for selling costs, the estimated sales would yield a certain .amount which could be set off against the finance involved in the publication. It was estimated on a conservative basis that the publication would cost the centennial council about £2BO. Mr. Todd asked whether the council was prepared to allocate definitely the £4OO as its contribution to the cost of the book?

The chairman said there had never been any definite allocation to cover the cost of the book. The sum ol' £4OO had been mentioned as the probable cost.

Mr. Todd said that he understood that when the council authorised the preparation ol' the book it had committed itself to finding the cost. The chairman thought that the council certainly should clear up the point as to whether it would finance the publication. All sums donated specially for the book totalled £95, and that was a long way short of the amount required. Publication or Abandonment Mr. Kohn said that the question was simply whether the council would pay to have the book published in the form originally proposed, or abandon the whole scheme of publication. After further discussion Mr. Adams moved that the council authorise the publication of the historical work at a cost not to exceed £4OO to the council. Mr. Todd seconded the motion. Mr. Hall remarked that he did not like voting on the blind. lie asked whether the book had been reviewed. It might not be attractive enough to justify publication. The chairman said that (he historical committee had been working on the book for some time, and the council could hardly set up a censorship committee.

Mr. Adams explained that the general form of the proposed publication had been approved by the National Centennial Council. Mr. Hal! said that lie had not known of that. He expressed himself as satisfied.

The motion was carried unanimously. and the historical committee was asked to secure quotations covering the cost of publication on a firm basis.

The chairman reported that the credit balance of the council, without taking into account any subsidies due, now stood at £llBO, this including £235 raised by the queen carnival effort sponsored by the Gisborne Thirty Thousand Club. The council tendered its thanks to the Thirty-Thousand Club for the effort, which it had carried to conclusion in most adverse circumstances.

Re-cnactment of Cook’s Landing The celebrations committee” reported Mr. Nicol, had had the advantage of the advice of the director of

pageantry in connection with the Centennial. Mr. Nicol reviewed the information given by Mr. Wauchop, incidentally mentioning that the pageantry director had warmly approved the suitability of the site on which the re-enactment of the landing of Captain Cook would take place. Mr. Nicol added that everything pointed to the likelihood that Gisborne could .stage a really excellent representation of Cook’s landing. Mr. Wauchop supported Mr. Nicol’s remarks, and said that he was delighted to find the site available for tlie landing ceremonies so suitable. He thought that with the co-operation of the European and Maori residents of Poverty Bay, the representation should be most creditable. It would be necessary to make some allowances in respect of the accurate presentation of the landing, for the conditions today would render an entirely faithful re-enactment impossible. However, it should be possible to make the ceremony understandable and attractive as a centennial feature.

Mr. Wauchop also indicated that he would be able to assist the district in many directions, and would be happy to do iiis best to make the landing reenactment what it should be —one of the most striking and important of the national celebrations.

Maori Meeting-House Plans

Mr. K. Te Hau reported on behalf of the Maori committee that there was now a tendency to concentrate on the meeting-house at Manutukc, and to leave the Muriwai meeting-house out of consideration. The preparation" of plans for the house had been left t< Mr. R. C. Wills. The Maori committee was advised to secure completion of the plans as soon as possible, to avoid being “shutout” of the subsidy list. Mr. Todd reported on progress at the Waikanae Park, and, in reply to the chairman, added that everything done to date had been kept within limits so that if any suspension was necessary, there would be nothing left half-done.

Mr. Nicol suggested that the work now should be reviewed with a view to meeting the main objective of the Government, which was to have some permanent and tangible memorial structure. He felt that the council should not spend too much of its money on small items before making provision for such permanent work as the memorial gates. He moved that it be a recomjnendalion to the Waikanae Park Committee to proceed at once with the erection of the memorial gates, and to submit a scheme mr further permanent works.

The motion was carried, Mr. Todd commenting that he was glad to have the benefit of Mr. Nicol's, opinion at this stage, since a month ago he had invited it and it had not been available.