EXHIBITION OPENING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1939, Page 4

EXHIBITION OPENING

NO INVITATION TO LOCAL BODIES “A DEPLORABLE OVERSIGHT.” OBSERVATIONS BY COUNTY COUNCILLORS. “I am rather surprised that a representative of this council did not receive an official invitation to be present at the opening ceremony of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition held at Wellington last week,” said Mr R. E. Gordon Lee, chairman of the Masterton County Council, at its meeting yesterday. “I think that this council, along with other local bodies in the Wairarapa district, can claim to have thrown its full weight, financially and otherwise, into an enterprise which I know, will prove worthy of New Zealand and those responsible for its organisation,” Mr Lee added. “It was not the fault of Mr T. Jordan, Mayor of Masterton, nor the local member of Parliament, Mr J. Robertson, that local body representatives of this district were overlooked, for I am in a position to know that they made strong representations to those in authority in Wellington that the local authorities of the Wairarapa district should be represented. It may have been an oversight that an official invitation did not come our way, but I am of opinion that it would have been a fine gesture, particularly to these gentlemen, who have given years of service to the development of this district, to have been officially invited to a function to mark the passage of the first centennial of this Dominion.” Councillor P. R. Welch: “I think it is a deplorable oversight. We have subscribed over £l6O all told and I think they should have extended an invitation to the whole council, but certainly to the chairman. There is some laxity somewhere. It is not the way to treat a body which has contributed £160.” Mr Lee: “Apart from the financial aspect, a lot of other work has been done by the council in connection with the Exhibition.” Councillor Welch: “I took it that without question the chairman would be invited.” “Then they ask you to go down there and do a lot of hard work for a week,” observed Councillor H. H. Mawley amid laughter, referring to a request read a minute or two before from the Wairarapa Provincial Executive for the chairman of the county and his wife to act as hosts for a week at the Wellington Court.