CENTENNIAL PLANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 July 1938, Page 9

CENTENNIAL PLANS

GOVERNMENTS DESIRE FOR LOCAL MEMORIALS. MARTINBOROUGH WANTS BATHS. (“Times-Age” Special) It was the Government’s desire that every town and village should have its centennial celebration and, if possible, a memorial in the form of play parks or other suitable memorials, stated a letter received at last night’s meeting of the Martinborough Borough Courfcil from the Wellington Provincial Centennial Committee. To make the celebrations successful, the letter continued, and to avoid overlapping, the various adjacent centres should work in with each other. The council was asked to set up its local centennial committee and consult adjacent local bodies with a view to agreeing on a zone in which the local authorities would work together. A tentative suggestion was that there should be three zones: Zone A, Wellington Hospital district (bounded by the Rimutakas and Paekakariki); Zone B, the Wairarapa district; Zone C, the Manawatu and other districts not included in A and B. All memorials and celebrations would have to be approved by the Provincial Committee. The council was asked to express its views on the suggested zones. Councillor M. N. Hardie: “Do you think we could interest the boroughs of Featherston, Greytown, Carterton and Masterton in swimming baths for Martinborough?”

Councillor W. F. Gundrie: “Martinborough should have its own memorial. The whole district might decide to make a memorial of the Mayor of Masterton or something like that.” The Mayor, Mr C. W. Skill: “We want baths.” At the last meeting of local body delegates to the Centennial Committee, Mr Skill added, not a great deal was done but there was more talking than enough. Mr T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton, was appointed Wairarapa’s sole representative on the committee. Martinborough’s controbution to .'the Wellington Provincial Court had been fixed at £36 16s. Councillor Gundrie: “And what does Martinborough get in return? The honour of contributing to a memorial in Masterton or some other town?” Councillors considered that the time was not opportune for the council to express an opinion on the proposed zones and the letter was received.