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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 210, 24 January 1913, Page 4

TIIK KOIvIjOTTIiX PAST. Ji i>, of course. well to always look to tlic future, hut not necessarily if it involves a total neglect of the past. There i.i a time and place for everything, and the anniversary of the province, which falls oil March ;il, presents a golden opportunity for a more than fleeting glance into our own past, at both men'and things. Its advent is a time for reflection, and, having let our minds wander at will over the" last half century, it behoves'us to place sonic of our gleanings of the elusive past on permanent record. Hitherto 111iannual opportunity of gathering and then treasuring up for permanent memorial recollections of events in the history of meu and things of our province, has, to a large extent, been neglected. AnniversaryDay comes round; we direct a few of our fugitive thoughts to old times and old people, and with the dawn of that singularly appropriate occasion, April 1, we divert them into other channels—the tlood-gates of the future. Always the present and tile future! Will not the time-honored past ever be fittingly remembered in a manner commensurate with its worth? This year, however, lias seen the establishment of the Early Keeords Committee. Already it has done much good work, and on Anniversary Day it should be much in evidence. To mark this event a combined picnic of war veterans and pioneers is to be held on the Recreation Grounds, on March 27, and in connection with this finotion the committee might with advantage take a leaf out of Wellington's book. The Empire City lately celebrated its anniversary with a very similar gathering, at wiiic.h opportunity was taken to obtain the name of every pioneer visiting the place of venue. Newtown Park. One of the officials was specially detailed for the purpose, and in many cases the collecting of a name was merely preliminary to obtaining some interesting fact, long since forgoiten in the general rush after things materialistic. about early Wellington. Taranaki if the present generation only realised if, has a wealth of historical associations. and lends itself more than anv other province in New Zealand to a veneration of the past. Incidentally, would it not lie a fitting thing to celebrate next year's anniversary—the forthcoming one is now too close at hand—by the laying of the foundation stone of New Plymouth's long looked-for mn-

«:'iun? This is not a reHcetion by suggestion ajminst our old-timers, hut simply a proposal to mark an epoch in our lives by some practical work that might be made of historical value.