CENTENNIAL YEAR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 126, 27 April 1940, Page 8

CENTENNIAL YEAR

COST OF CELEBRATIONS. REVIEW BY MINISTER. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, April 26. The part played by the Government in aiding various institutions, including the Exhibition, during die Centennial year, was stressed by the Minister in charge of the celebrations, Hon \V. E. Parry, addressing 400 members of the Auckland division of the Farmers’ Union at Parliament House. The Government, he said, recognised that all the people of the country should be given the opportunity of enjoying the exhibition and taking a prominent part in the Centennial celebrations. Of the monetary assistance granted .by the ~ Government for the celebrations, the Minister said £150,000 had been set aside for payment of a subsidy of £ l for £3 toward the cost of all approved celebrations and memorials sponsored by provincial districts or local Centennial committees. The following list showed the principal types of memorials which had been selected: Swimmif.g baths, 26; parks and tree-planting projects, 80; Plimket and rest rooms, 43; historical publications, 23; public halls, 32; and sports pavilions, 21. The Government had made a loan of £25,000 to the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition Company, and had subscribed share capital to the extent of £56,000. Twenty-five thousand pounds had been provided for special assistance in connection with the Maori participation in the Centennial celebrations, and as a contribution toward the cost of the wharerunanga at Waitangi, and certain other Maori memorials; £27,000 was set aside for Centennial publications, comprising a series of 30 magazines, entitled “Making New Zealand.” A number of historical surveys, a two-volume dictionary of national biography, and a Centennial atlas had been provided for; £2OO was also provided for a series of social, geographical and historical projects, written by individual schools and supervised by headmasters. The sum of £6OOO had been granted for assistance to the National Broadcasting Service, toward the cost of musical and dramatic festivals. On the sports side, the Alinister said, a profit of £II,OOO had resulted from the sports art union held last year, and most of that sum had been allocated to organisations conducting national Centennial sports gatherings. Any balance would be distributed to other sports bodies for the development of physical recreation. There had been given £IOOO for a literary competition conducted by the National Historical Committee, and a loan of £IOOO had been made towards the expenses of the Centennial art exhibition and Dominion Aluseum and Art Gallery. The Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union and Women’s Institute had been granted £2OO between them in connection with the country women s display at the exhibition. The Girl Guides’ Association iiad been granted £250 in connection with their Centennial camp, and Boy Scouts had been promised £2OOO in connection with the Centennial jamboree, but the jamboree had had to be cancelled because of the war. The Boys’ Brigade had been granted £SOO in connection with a camp at AVaikamie, £IOO had been allocated to the National Flower Show, and a grant of £IOO had been given toward the Centennial Anzac services. A grant of £IOO had been made to the Numismatic Society in connection with the preparation of medals, and £75 spent in providing Centennial ribbons for old settlers.