THE NEW MONUMENT

UNVEILING Tlie ceremony of unveiling the uonuitient just erected in tbe Military Cemetery, Tauranga, to the iiemory of the soldiers and sailors who fell in the New Zealand wars »nd were interred here, took place yesterday afternoon in the. presence c»f a gathering of about seven hundred people. The ceromony was a [uo.st impressive one and thoroughly in keeping with the reverence and solemnity of the occasion. At -1.43 p.m. the Taurtvrcgw. Mounted Rifles, a number of members of the Opotiki Mounted . Rifles, New Zealand veterans and school cadets paraded, and marched from tbe orderly room to the cemetery where they formed a s;quare surrounding the monument. Captain Ward took charge of the parade, and in addition to the Taurang'ii Mounted Rifles there were prosent : Captain Chapman, Fourth Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles ; Sergeant-jtynjor iWulk&r, Fourth Regiment Auckland Mounted Rifles ; Sergeants Warrington and Mac Donald, Corporal Murray, Troopers Murray, Thompson, Gow, and Jobelin, Opo'iki Mounted Rifles ; Lieutenant AY. K. Wttllis, of Lh« First, Sixth and Tenth Now Zealand Contingents which proceeded to South Africa ; Messrs A. .l^slie, .). U. and' W. Page, A. Matheson and McKay, who have all seen active service in South Africa ; Gunner R.. Stewart, No. 1 nd Garrison Artillery; and Sergeant Douglas, Te Puke Mounted Rifles. Captain Turner, formerly of the Colonial Mounted Defence Force, assumed command of the veterans, amongst whom we noticed : Gaptain V. C. Tovey-Tennent, late of the 70th Regiment and First Waikato Militia ; Captain A. A. Crapp, ;who served with the First Waikatos and also saw service in tho New 'Zea'bik! Armed Constabulary Field Force. Captain If. F. Way, Third Wni,'cato Regiment ; Sergeant G. T. Davoren, Messrs .1. Stewart, V. l/»tke, Xj. Simpson, J. IT. McCaw. VV. A. j Thoin, J. Ransley, P. Collins, S. Reeve, F. Moon, and Corporal P. Herbert, First W'aiknto Militia, tlio * lHsl-mentioned also ha%"ing the honour of beintf ono of tho garrison 'hat defended Liucknow (India) ; Messrs E. Howell. Tanmaki Rifles ; H. Knowles, 08th Regiment ; J. Brain, Transport Sei'vicc, Waikato ; D. Asher, Taupa<niga Ijijgih't Horse ; f. V. Freoth, Turakiira Rifle Volunteers ; and Alex. Dickie, Wairoa Rifles, Waverley. Captain H. Kerr, R.N., md Mr W, Eyre (Marines) were also present, while a large min\ber of natives, iijcluding Rawiri Puhirni:i (nephew of the famous Gate Pa general) assembled to do honour to Mie occasion. The cadets were under tho command of Mr A. N. Bowden (headmaster of the Taurairga District high School), and looked very 'nnart in their neat uniforms. As soon as tlie representatives of tho past, present and future fipjhtin? forces' had taken up their position in the cemetery th« massed, choirs of the local churches (under the baton if Mr W. , rforios) sang< the hymn "O, God our Help ,m Aiges !Pa«t," a small orchestra also 1-eiTdering assistance. Start-Chaplain Captain the. Rev Canon Jordan. Fourth RegiTnent, A.M.R., then gave «. short address : "Those Who Oho.ved tho Call of Duty Even Unto Death. V In the course of his remarks he said they had met together that afternoon to unveil the monument erected to the memoiy of the soldiers and sailors who fell while in tho execution of their, duty —fighting for their Queen and County. They nil hnd.n duty to perform nnd he hoped if tho oeoasijon ever arose that those assembled there toIny would 'toe prepared to do their duty, and thus emulate the exnmple of those whoso memory they were honouring that afternoon. Rev. Canon Jordan, as Mayor of the'Bort^uorh, then unveiled 'the monument, the troops and "buglers giving the "General Salute." Captain Turner, who took part in several of the engngwvents in the vicinity of Taurarvga in tho troublous times, then stepped forward, and informed the assemWago that it. was 15 shears since some of his comrades present that day had witnessed the burial of some of -those whose names appeared on the monument. He was pleased to see Captains Ward ami Chapman and the Tauranga and Opotiki volunteers present. The volunteers were ready, if called upon to follow in the footsteps of those who had laid down their lives for their country. He was sorry to say that the volunteers, as the force up on which Now Zealand was raaij.ly dependent for protection, were not encouraged as they should be. He addressed a fewi word.* oJ enpouragement to the cadets and exhorted them to pay close atteution to their military duties and ta continue that training after they left school by joining the volunteers. War was a terrible thing:, but they should be ready and able to take their part in case the Dominion were invad«d. He was glad to see the ladies present, whom he felt sure -would com*' forward, if necessity arose, to assist in nursing the sick and w o ur.ded. J n conclusion Captain Turner made referenett to the noble character of the Xgaiteranßi chief, liawiri Puhiraki, whose remains find a resting-place only a few yards from the new monument, and considered that Rawiri's memory ought Ut Ix? perpetuated. Tho choirs then rendered Jackson's "Te Deum," after .whicK the Rev. -Mr Wilson delivered a. short address laying that the scene that dav called;, too. hisjmi-rid' a common scone m the United States of America where once a year tout nation gives itself up to what is called DecoraH 0 * , Day - The People march in stately concourse, -hoaded Vy bVass bands, to the public cemeteries and there decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flags and flowers. Tho great ceremony that day was n praiseworthy expression along similar lines and was also tt suitable muans of perpetuating the memory of men, who, ai tho cost of their lives, prepared the way for the ad vancmg march of civilisation ir. these islands. It is oun privilege not. only to emulate the example of the heroes of the past^but also totnW Into into actual practice and eonluct the principles of courage devotion and sacrifice which amma-ted -hem. The fln« umler which our .rave soldiers fought has t*^ 9 * jn>ancipntor in every ao© of +1,« jorld'. history. It "^^ . £f et »« J T IC : f ° r all freedom, us. the descendants of a noble •ace inamtaiD itP hoi^aur. >, ipb4k , ts d.gmty and extend it., mfluence. xvipfjnjfjrfs recessioiani. ' i^ijt We orget," was then given by th<* hoirs the rendition SJ&Z t he attention bestowed by the con«*npr and singers i n its prepajaThe Rev. A . Hopper followed with n address and said the ceremony arved to remind theu, of what had •ccurred in the past. What happened ears ago is Hkoly ±o be forgotten wleas we take steps t 0 perpetuate

>ccurrences. To their memories wert wrought the facts thnt ninny young nen left the Old Lund and sacrilic sd their lives, b*«avely and uncom plainly in the cause of duty. Th< jcdasJon also raiM'iidwt the)n *tiii-a.l Lhe two races who fought agaiusi jne another were now united, ant lht; lanrl— where strife previously prevailed—was now one of peuco an< plenty. The hymn "Onward, Christian Sol cHers," was next rendered hy tht chairs, tcfter which tho Itenedicti-or was pronounced by the Roy. Civnoi Jordan. The buglers then soundei "The Last Post." the troops pro senting anus. After the singing o the Nntiontil Anthem, the veterans volunteers and cadets marched off h that order, and so ended one of tN most impressive, patriotic and his toric functions which has yet tuket place in the aim als of Tauranga. Thu collection in aid of the come tery restoration fund, taken up dur ing the afternoon, yielded a sum o £12 14s lid. The monument is a marble one o Greek design, seti on a granite base atnd was suppli ed by Messrs W. Par kinson & Co., of Auckland. The sid ( facing the south bears the inscrip tion : In memory of the following sol diers, who were killed in actior or died of wounds received dur ing the Maori War, 1864-7 : At Gate Pa, April 20, 1864— Sergeant Jas. Harnier, 68th DX..I Private Thos. McGough, '68« U.L.I. Private Patrick Mac Donald, 68tl D.L.T. Private W. Brissimjfton, 12th Regi inent. At T« Itenga, June 21, 18*34— Private Jas. Taylor, 68th D.L.I. Private IP. Shanahan, 68th D.L.T Private Geo". Smith, 68th D.L.I. ' Private ljaurance Mtinion, 68t' D.L.I. Private J. Tims, 68th D.L.I. Private John Platt, 68th D.L.I. On the oastern si-dc is inscribed : The following sailors who wen killed at the attack on Gat< I'a : • Jas. Harris, 0.5., H.M.S. Guracoa. Levi Kent, Private, R. M.L.I. Mir anda. . Oeo. Watt, guimor, Miranda. Wm. Dalton, Quartermaster, E.sk. Richard Fuller, . 'O.S., Esk. Wm. C. .Leig-h. stoker, Esk. Geo. Young, A.M., Harrier. Henry Clark, 0.R., H«rrier. Andrew Greencm. stoker. Harrier. Henry Harding, R.M.L.T. Eclipse. The lettering 1 ion tho western sidi is a^ u-f.'dc'i* : The following soldiers of the Co lonial Force Ifclongiivg to thi First Wajikato MilitjA, who wer kilted at Irihan^a and Whakn marnnia : Sergeant-Major Henry Emus, Jan vary, 18, 1867. Private Win. Stevenson, Jaminri 23, 1807. Private D. W. Ward, January' 23 1867. Private 1?hos. F,. Jordan, Fr^jruar^ 15, 18(57. Private Hy. Jeffs, Februar>- 15 1867. On the other large monument, oi which the lettering was almost ob three new marble slabs have been inserted, with new letter ing thereon. Those on the southern and eastern sides read : In memory of the following Officers, Non-commissioned Officers JJugiler and Privates, of the 43rd Light Infantry, \vho were killec or died of wounds .received April 20, 1864. at the attack on the Gate Pn : Lieutten'aintr.Colcnel Henry J. V, Booth. Captain 'Riobt. C. Glover. "Captain Jas. R. Mure. Captain Robt. T. F. HatniltonCaptain Edwin Utterton,. * Lieu ten-ant Fredk. C. B. Glover. Ensign Chas. J. Laqglamis. Sergeant-Major John ! Vance. Bugler James Ultickwall. Private James Audloy ; , Private G«orge Uradbrook. Private Philip Fitzgerald. Privato Henry <3off. Private Jncoljj . HoMbrook. Private Silvester Hori»J>y. Private James Lane. Privato Thomas Madden. Private Rolbert Phelan. Private Georg© Rofcjbins. Private Federick Trann. On the west side appears : Also of the following Non-commis-sioned Officers and (Privates, whb were killed or, died of wounds received June 21, 1864, .mt the capture of the Maori position at Te Renga : Corporal James Wneeler. Corporal John W. Varlow. Private Robt. Johnstona. Private John McGuire. Private Jeremiah Mahw. Private Henrj' Wilkinson. A few yards away from the two monuments referred to is the rest-ing-place of the remains of Rawir! Puhiraki, but no 'headstone marks the grave of the Ngaiterangi chief w»bo lod the natives lagtoHnst the Eurowans at the Gate JPa engagement. From what history tells us this man was not a sava-ge. He it was -who jumped over the parapet when h* law Colonel , Booth fall mortally wounded; taking off his blanket that t might form a pillow for th« Brit tsh officer, and brinfeiiing- ■him water to quench his thirst. This chief was killed at the Te Rcriga %ht about two months later,' in which Captuin Purner took part. Rawiri was bur!ed in the pits at Te Renga, in 1864, but .in 1870 his remains were removed to the Tauran«a -Military | Cemetery, the paH-benrors being Captain Turner, Messrs A. Warbrick S. Clarke n«d ,T. Wriglcy. We unlerstand that a tombstone was promised by Government to mark the •jurial place of the noted chief but «P to the present nothing has been lone in this direction. As Captain Turner «aid yesterday, an effort should v- made to perpetuate tho memory of so an opponent, and -we hope that the natives md Europeans of the district will co-operate in an endeavour to honour the memory of a great general