“THE IMMORTALS.”

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1925, Page 1

“THE IMMORTALS.”

ALL II LACK N A AIKS .FOP STREETS. SO AIK AUCKLAND SATIRE. AUCKLAND. .January Id. A satirical shaft is aimed by the ‘'Auckland Star” at Alt' W. E. Leadley’s proposal that Christchurch streets he renamed after All (Blacks. In a leader entitled “Honouring the Immortals,” the “Star” says:—’‘Wficn Moratius saved Home, the grateful city gave, him of the pubic corn land as much its two strong oxen could plough from morn till night. The New Zealand Government, we regret to say, has made no such move to honour the football team that has come through its tour of Great Britain without defeat. A patriot, in Christchurch, however, proposes that the names of the team and of the towns in which they played he perpetuated in the naming of new streets in that city.

“The street nomenclature in Christchurch is already distinctive. Ihe founders of this established thttrch settlement named as many streets as they could after bishoprics, and Worcester Street, Oxford and Cambridge Terraces, St. Asaph Street and others help to give the civ an English atmosphere, .More original, however, is the idea of naming the streets after famous footballers. It would be interesting to have the opinion of the late Bishop Harper, or other churchmen, of the early days, on this, proposal, to mix sport with religion. It might he replied that for some years at least Porter -Street or Cooke Street is likely to mean more to the average Christchurch citizen than Antigua or Colombo Streets.

“The names of some ol the members of the team and some of the towns in which they played are commemorated in this way already, but wo would suggest that inscriptions he placed in these streets to'.show the public the real rigid finance of the- mimes. If there i-s a Cardilf or a Swansea. Street it should he made clear, that the real importance of the name lies in its association with the All Blacks, ami if there is a (Mill Street, well, confusion might load to some such regrettable dialogues as this: “ ‘Father, is Mill Street named after .fobn Stuart- (Mill, the famous economist?’ “ 'Never heard of him. The street’s mimed alter .Jimmy AUII. of course. I'm surprised at your ijjjnornfiec/ “Fortunately, Cooke, having a final “e” to his name, is not likely to he confused with Captain-Cook, and only university students will he in danger ot mistaking Richardson, the forward, for Richardson, the novelist, but what of the Brownlies? W ill there he two Brownlie Streets, a (Maurice and a Cvril

•‘This graceful proposal ends with a suggestion that the list of names should lie .supplemented by those of the ol iginal All Blacks. The survivors of that famous side may not like the compliment. Experience has possibly ciilli-.-•ited their sense of proportion and humour.”