THE QUEEN'S STATUE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 303, 23 December 1898, Page 2

THE QUEEN'S STATUE.

g; MEETING OF COMMITTEE,

£?, THE TOURNAMENT FUNDS,

>: A special meeting of the Queen's Btatne Committee was held yf terday , afternoon at the City Council Cham-. fcers, Mr P. Dignan presiding. ; The Hon. Secretary, Mr A. J- Allom, read a report regarding the statue in Se course of which he said:*-The customs duty has been paid on the importation of the Queen's statue bj ; the s.s. Waikato, daily expected, and the entry has been passed at the Customs. Application has been made, to the Customs for the refund of the Customs duty paid as voted by Par- ; Jiament last session. The balance with bank will scarcely cover the amount; 'due to the contractor for the founda-; tion. Another contract must be let. for erecting the statue. The amount •we shall require to complete all ar- ; Tangements is between £200 and J£3oo. It is also necessary to consider . v?h&t immediate action should be. taken in consequence of the decision; of the Military Tournament Commit-; tee on Tuesday last to hand over their ( Biirplus funds to local charities.' j -The meeting then proceeded to con- j fcider the action of the Tournament; Committee in passing a resolution; 'devoting the funds of the Committee. to local charities. ! Dr. Wiikins said the Tournament, Committee had acted in a most; tehabbv and disgraceful manner. _ He •wats ashamed to call them Christians,; and there was not a bit of loyalty m them. He was ashamed to think that BOrne Of those men held Her Majesty s commission. He thought, however,; that before going to law they should . get a good legal opinion on the, matter. If they could not get the; ffiouraament funds they could get the general public to easily make up the ; balance required for this noble ob-, ■ject. He proposed that the opinion: of a first-class lawyer should be ob-; t&iued as to whether the Committee Jiad a right to these funds or not. ' Mr Adam Cairns said he was asham- : fed to think that men wearing Her Stfaiestv's uniform should go against; Eer Majesty. 'God bless her every \ jtime.' They should go to court and < get an injunction for this money. Sle seconded the motion. I " Mr W. J. Courtney said they should petition the Government to ask those volunteer officers who voted against; the Queens statue to withdraw from ; Bier Majesty's forces. j -Mr Frank Hill said the action of the j (Tournament Committee was disgrace-j iful and a leflection oii the volunteer! rforce. There should be no time lost j an getting an injunction against the Tournament Committee disposing of : the money, He hoped to see a mass meeting "of volunteers to protest against the action of those volunteer toflicers who voted against the Queen's statue.

The Rev. W. Beatty spoke to similar tefi'ect, and condemned what he termed ithe 'disloyalty' of those volunteer officers Avho had voted against giving the money to the statue. Howevei-, jthe Statue Committee had no funds jwith".which to go to law, unless'*they raised a special fund for the purpose, and legal proceedings were very costBy. It would be much better to place jthe case before thepublic ahc]__ appeal io' the citizens of Auckland to make isip the balance required.

Mr" R. Farrell suggested that a sub-

committee should wait on Colonel Banks and ask him to take the matter snto his own hands. The Tournament Committee had the money and some of them wanted to keep the money, _but if they had a full meeting- of the (Committee he believed there would be an overwhelming majority in favour jof the statue.

Mr B. Kent said the rank and file of volunteers were not disloyal; the trouble was that the money "was in jtlie hands of a few men who were 'determined to devote it to their own volunteering purposes. He deprecated legal action; they had no rfunds to carry On law proceedings. SThey would best uphold their dignity Sand the honour of the city by putting their hands in their pockets once more. If the volunteers would only ■take the matter in hand in the way tMr Hull suggested and take action regarding the language of the officers in question he would be with them jtooth and nail.

:.. The Chairman (Mr P. Dignan) said .there was no question of disloyalty about it. The volunteers were quite flpyal. He hardly knew how to advise ithe Committee.

. Mr A. J.'Allom moved: 'That this question- be referred to the Standing jSub-connnittee with instruction to in-terview.Lt.-Col. Banks on the subject, and also to take counsel's advice, and 3'f so advised to take the steps neces---sary to obtain the Military Tournament funds for the Queen's "statue.'

Mr G. Fraser seconded this motion

After some further discussion it was on the motion of Mr R. Far-3-ell 'That'the Chairman and Secretary of this Committee wait on Lt.Col. Banks and request him to call a iull meeting, of the Military Tournament Committee to reconsider the disposal df the balance of* the funds of ihe Committee, and pending such ac.lJon that the funds be kept intact.'