"PROSPERITY BAY"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 163, 28 July 1937, Page 8

"PROSPERITY BAY"

"Poverty Not in Favour" SUGGESTED NAME CHANGE Provided that Gisborne did not lose its identity in th© change-over, the members of the Poverty Bay provincial executive of the Farmers' Union meetring expressed themselves as being in favour of a change in the name of the district so as to avoid the connection of '^Poverty" in the name of Poverty Bay by those people who did not Isnow the story of the name and were inclined to judge the district solely by its name. In introducing the question, Mr 0. Tietjen xeferred to the discussion that had taken place recently at the meeting of the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce. He complimented that body in taking up tho matter and said he was in accord with their opinion, but thought that as the change would be also largely in the intarests of the farmers of the district they, too, should express their views and ,if in favour stand. behind the chamber. He had been a farmer in the Poverty Bay district, having spent his life there, and he considered that the name was a stigma on the wealth of the district. Twenty or 25 years ago the progress of the district was quite reasonable. There were three freezing works, but now there was only "one. The speaker enumerated many of the failures that Poverty Bay had stood since' that period. "I am with the Chamber of . Commerce .and think that the only thing that is holding us back is the name," continued Mr Tietjen. He said he hadi thought that "Prosperity Bay" Would be a name more in keeping with the type of the country atthe back of the Bay but now that the name of Cook's Bay was mentioned it would still hold that association witlk Captain Cook. The name of the district was as much the interest of the farmers as the townspeople. The statements of Mr Tietjen were bacbed up by Mr J. C. Field, who jvas of the opinion that Poverty Bay was a misnomer. Mr J. E. Brosnalian : When a district can stand all the failures mentioned by Mr Tietjen with the name of Poverty Bay it would be as well to stick to it. "The name of Poverty Bay is known everywhere, and it would be detrimental to the district if we made & change at this stage," stated Mr George Smith, speaking at the Gisborne Harbour Board' s meeting on the proposal to make an alteration in the title of the district. A majority of the board shared Mr Smith's opinion, and it was decided to take no action in support of the campaign for eliminating "Poverty Bay" as the official designaation of Gisborne and the surrounding district.