The Hutt News THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1930. WELLINGTON PROVINCE'S CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 47, 1 May 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1930. WELLINGTON PROVINCE'S CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

Out readers will-note with pleasure that the initial resolution, adopted at the meeting called by His Worship the, Mayor- of Wellington, with reference to a proposal to bold a Centennial Exhibition to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Wellington Province, was moved and seconded by residents of: the Hutt. On the motion of Mr. F. Campbell, seconded by Sir Alexander Roberts, it was decided "that a centennial exhibition be held." The latter gentleman remarked "that the main thing hinged on having a site handy to the centre of' the pppulation and with proper access." And we are in entire accord with Sir Alexander, in /#iis,. and more especially in the latter part of the sentence quoted. The importance of the site was stressed by the convenor of the meeting, who also remarked in a casual kind of way that the City hacl fifty or sixty acres of ground (when the sand-hills had been levelled) at Lyall Bay. lie went . on to extol the./Evaris Bay site (yet to be reclaimed) as ideal from a traffic point of view, especially, with the new Mt. Victoria tunnel completed. After apparently jMuefe further discussion on the question of site, duriiig which no ■other locality save the Eastern Suburbs seems to have occurred -te a»y of the large, and influential gathering present, the question of sites was referred to a sub-cenny mittee .cpnaisting of the Mayors of Wellington and Lower Hutt, the Ohairman of the Harboitr .-BbaM and the President of the .Wellingvton Chamber of Commerce. We ha^e recapitulat.ed the essential things that were done at this preliminary meeting because the subject is one that intimately and vitally concerns the welfare of this district. And, possibly because the date of the proposed •exhibition is at present somewhat remote, the project does not appear to appeal to the general public as one in which they are intimately concerned, and we are assured that many have not even, troubled to read what lias already -taken place. As we pointed out in the article appearing in last week's issue, absolutely no mention has been made of a, site for the proposed exhibition, which would in every way be an ideal one—Gtear Island. Why the many obvious advantages of this site' should have been so completely ignored at the preliminary meeting it is difficult to say. But if -the site sub-committee is not solely obsessed with the Eastern Suburb idea, and* will give fair consideration to the claims of this district we venture-to■ assert that the advantages of the one hundred acres of public reserve under the control of the Hutt River Board are so far above those offered by the only other locality as yet mentioned that there will be a strong recommendation in favour of Gear Island. Although the question of mileage does not constitute a factor of so great importance in these days of motor traffic, it niay he pointed out that there is little •difference between the distancebetween the City and Lyall. Bay, and that separating the GLP.O and ■Gear Island; also that in travelling time the advantage would be in favour of the latter. As between the comfort of travel in a railway carriage and that in a •crowded tram or bus there is obviously no comparison, anyone who has travelled even a short -distance, will unhesitatingly vote in favour of the railway. In the •case of Gear Island, the railway already exists, and there would be not the slightest difficulty in transporting, in ease and comfort H&oee who visited the big show, ■fife the numbers uewen m excess of ■the crowds which nightly throng-

Ed the. exhibitions in Christchurch and Dunedin. Can one imagine the transport difficulties to be faced were the centennial exhibition located on either of,the sites tit present contemplated in the Eastern Suburbs. If all the rolling stock of the Wellington Corporation Tramways were to be concentrated outside the exhibition gates'^ and every licensed motor vehicle in the district added,to them, plus every private 'motor ear, what would be the position of an ordinary crowd (such "as must attend if the venture is to be a financial success) when an evening's entertainment concluded. Would it be possible to handle so great a number of people, all desirous of getting home speedily? Any traffic expert would; reply in the "negative, Speakers at the preliminary meeting rightly stressed the importance of the site insofar as traffic is concerned, and we would point out that were the Gear Island site adopted, the largest crowd that has ever gathered in the Dominion could, under efficient management, b& marshalled and comfortably seated in carriages which are the Nation's property, and train-load after train-load would be expeditiously and easily transported to the city. A point of view which presents itself is the importance .of using the people's own property, when ail opportunity such as this occurs. It is well known that in recent times the suburban traffic on the railway has been depleted by motor competition. r An opportunity now arises for the department to enjoy a long season of prosperity, greatly to the financial welfare of the nation., It is .possible, not to say quite probable, that the Departmentj rising to the occasion, will the suburban area to eppe with the great increase both in goods and passenger traffic, which must inevitably arise shoiild the Centennial Exhibition of the Wellington Province be held on what we believe to be incomparably the best site— namely Gear Island.