RE-NAMING POVERTY BAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2063, 25 April 1907, Page 4

RE-NAMING POVERTY BAY.

A YEHSE-MAKEH’S VIEWS. There has boon received ut rhioffice a metrical dissertation on- tin matter of ro-naminf; Poverty Pay. It is in tlio form of a series of sliprl poems cloning with many phases of tho matter, and begins with a dedication of the work to the Mayor. In tho opinion of tho writer “it will not pay” to ro-namo the Bay with out exercising much caro, and to time end lie recommends that all suggestions rocoivod at the “Times” office should bo sent “Unto our Worthy Mayor, so that they may censored be by Mr. John Townloy.” Tho do dication concludes by asking th; Mayor to ro-namo tho Bay.

Tho main tliemo is introduced l).v versos called “Tho Southerly Bus tor, at Young Nick’s Hoad.” A note explains that tho Maori name for Young Nick’s Hoad is To Tvuri. “which, translated, moans ‘tho dog.” 1 Tho first verso is worthy of quotation as a serious effort, and tho fact that tho form hoars traces of tho influence of Poo, Will Lawson, tho Kiwi of Mangapohatu and other celebrated versifiers, does not detract from its pleasing effect. It is as follows: As I jump out of hod

I look at tho “Head,” And watch tho white mistral blow past; And now with a swirl I soo tho waves curl

As they rise to tho strength of tin blast: Now see tho groat cloud

On its summit so proudHow it circles around o’er its fa co; Tho wind now has caught it— Away it must go—

But others are taking its placeMany others are taking its place— Now lifting, now soaring, and fallim again To its base, Where the kuri does growl And the Wizard looks foul, As ho slips him And whips him Away to the chase.

After tiie first verse both matter and manner fall away, and the verso mainly deals with tho south-easter from tho fisherman’s standpoint. Tho poem concludes with a promise at some future date to supply a poem dealing with tho “long and worn! roils hair” on the “Middy’s Head." On tho back of the paper on which those versos are written appears a black and white sketch of Young Nick’s Head as scon on April 10th. and 'if tho sketch is true to nature the sight of tho Head must indeed have been awe-inspiring and liable to make one have an attack of poetry, perityflitis or ingrowing toenails.

Next como verses in the form of a toast commencing as follows : “Hero’s to the great Navigator! His memory’s green to this day!

Long may his name he. heard later. As tho founder of Pacific Bay.”

This is evidently the writer’s suggestion for the re-naming of tho Bay. The next piece of verse follows lip the subject dealt with in the previous pieco in the following words, which sincerely flatter tho late lamented Thomas Campbell: “The grand Pacific Bay

We will name it from the day When Poverty is hotted from tin hook; For then we all can -say

To those that come this way, ’Tis an honor to the famous Captain Cook.”

Poets are known the world over as prophets, and, in the course of a poem headed “Pacification” which gives reasons for the change of name, our friend makes some statements which brand him at once as one having very exclusive information on current affairs and a clairvoyante View of the future. The passage is as folows : : “For now the harbor’s made And open to all trade,

(The price will soon he paid), Grim Poverty will vanish from it: door.”

No doubt Mr. Townley will he seen to-day endeavoring to find, with tho aid of a field-glass, a looking-glass and a glass of water the harbor which was dumped down on tho Ivaiti beach last night, and perhaps Mr. Witty will run away with tho idea that our poetical friend will drop in during the day and hand over the sovereigns necessary to pay for the ,ltarhor. ..S’" Our friend, in the cotirso of his concluding verso,copies an anonymous contemporary whose works have perhaps greater publicity than those of any of his fellow-sufferers. Following is the passage, which may mean anything or nothing or a little bit of both :

“With its climate good and pure, A distant future to ensure,

Poverty’s name we yet endure.” Any colonial,/.hoy who knows tho difference between a bath-bun and a. batli-brick could supply a concluding lino. In the last lines of the work tho writer tries to “kid” the Mayor by- calling him “His Lordship,” who is asked to name the day “When we will to the world decree AVe are living ill prosperity AVitli no more room for poverty.”

The whole work is evidently intended to emphasise that the present poverty of the people in the Bay (the presence of which is frequently admitted and as frequently denied with pleasing impartiality) will disappear completely when the outer harbor is finished; that “His Lordship the Mayor” is the only person capable of deciding on a new name for the Bay; that legislative action should be taken to stop south-easters coming into the Bay and interfering with the work of the local fishermen ; and that if the Bay were named Pacific Bay money would roll into the district in such quantities that citizens could play their two-up with sovereigns in place of pennies. So mote it he! In conclusion, the Outer Harbor League is advised to secure the writer of these verses as District Grand Outer Harbor Poverty Cure Bard; but with the well-known modesty of genius he declares at present to disclose his name. •