The Hutt News THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1930. WELLINGTON' S CENTENNARY EXHIBITION.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 46, 24 April 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1930. WELLINGTON' S CENTENNARY EXHIBITION.

The, recent meeting, galled by the Mayor of Wellington to consider the question of holding an Exhibition to >mark the hundredth -anniversary of the founding of the City and Province ■of Wellington marks an event; worthy of Tnore than passing. notice. His Worship, with a prudence and foresi ghtedness worthy' fof every <sommendatjon,- <askfed: the* fe'presentatiyes of Local. Bo,dies ? : and tne leading busijiess men of tHe district to meefr him to discuss the. matter; *an d Ttke * Tjestjijj rof the ■ deliberations; Vand discussion at that meeting were Vthat it was practically decided that a Gentennary Exhibition should be held the year 1940 to celebrate the notable year. It is gratifying to find "that So great a; spirit of unanimity . prevailed y amongst those present, and tKere"is ; no doubt that the proposal to hold -an Exhibition to celebrate the mo.inentous occasion met with general favour. ;1 There is equally little doubt but that the suggestion will -also meet with general,.approval -of the public at large. The enormous, not to say; phenominal, : strides which have marked the development of our primary and . secondary industries during the T>ast ninety years justifies the assumption that such progress will '-continue, and be even greater during the period which will elapse h efore the Exhibition opens. The result, will assuredlv be a display "that will amply demonstrate to the outside world what can be, ..and has been, done in one brief century to develop this fair land from a desolate country inhabited by savages .and cannibals to a smiling and prosperous agricultural, pastoral, and industrial -country which it is our pride, to designate '' Gf od/s v Own Country.'' It having thus been practically determined that such 'an Exhibition siiair be held, it is r to be trusted, -and hoped-that the'-promoters will -approach the; question of locality .^and site in a-broad-minded spirit, free from any taint of parochialism or local 1 lias. ' At_the.meeting it was noticable'that the only sites mentioned Were -those in the eastern -suburban -area, Lyall Bay or 'Kilbirnie, and no other site suggested itself to anyone- present. . The -question of site is perhaps the .most vital of all - matters to be ■taken into > consideration -wh^n •dealing with the preliminary steps io be taken prior to the submis.sion of a scheme-to the public for support. While we have no desire to depreciate the claims of the Eastern Suburbs as,asite, we 3nust in fairness to this district put the claim of Gear Islalad when the question of sites is being discussed. We claim Jthat as a rsite for such an Exhibition as is proposed Gear Island "stands unrivalled. It has practically every -advantage. It is easily accessible from the city> it already possesses Railway line running across the island; the time occupied in the -trip out or in return would be actiially far less than that of going •or returning from say "Lyall Bay. In addition to railway facilities enabling thousands Of passengers to ;be easily and comfortably transferred to and fro, it has most -excellent road access by bitumenised, level, roads both from north -arid south; it is an ideal' site of over a hundred acres which will admirably lend itself to landscape •gardening, and in this connection it may be noted that the River Board, in whom the land is vested, is already considering the -planting of trees for beautifying, and shelter belts, so that' t»y the -time the land is required for ExTribition purposes, one of the'most , -essential needs of a pleasure ground and amusement park—

weli'gro vwn trees-—will be in^sitti. It may be pointed out that no exhibition .cpjtjld reasojiably be called .cpmpljetew)tho ( ut ypejl lai4 out an& spacious grounds whereiir all thfe ,art of t the, lajnds#ape gardener an<l florist "is /displayed, (-rear jslany has a large area of the most ierxil'| soil all<ready-to '<'be-tifekled witH a; hoe-'andi laugh-with;.flowers.'f •At Lyall: Bay<;levelled.isWkhiUjs sereeteh.;: for soili to:fcover, .-theif <nakednessy and* if ever a pleasure '^rounidf and '.garden.,is. made>th.ere it-, will' beijbyMn<eansx<P& sojilvwhi<?li •has y been .carried there from. ; .the iHutt Valley, or other similar;••. .Ipjcality. Of the; ; qijestiqii JC of t^ns>pbrt ojf thei >n.ecejssary materials for the erection of the many, lai;ge buildings essential to the success of an i:?BkMb'itibfi it is" Unnecessary to speakf >the 7' a^an^ges^fithe ■Hutt site are too obvious. In tihe "one 'case the timber required is placed on the railivay^triacka at the sawmill, and unloaded at the site 6$ tiie' propqsed eteetion. In ije case of the Eastern Subiirbs expensiye cartage over steep hills %vl& through tunnels Would go a long way towards making buildr ing cqs^s prohibitive. It is aveify l)ig subject^ and.space limitations preclude ktne" possibility^' of 'doing it ijtistice in one article. We' intend, however, to return to the subject, and in future articles shall endeavour to set but many other advantages to be gained by the "adoption of the Htitt Valley site.