WAR MEMORIAL.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 6

WAR MEMORIAL.

COLUMN TO BE ERECTED.

COMMITTEE ADHERES TO FORMER PLAN.

The War Memorial Column Committee decided yesterday afternoon to adhere to its previous decision to erect a column in memory of fallen soldiers. The meeting, which was held in committee, was called to consider the suggestion made by Mr George Gould (chairman of the committee) in an open letter published in the newspapers on Julv 27th to the effect that, as £BOOO was now available, £SOO could bo spent on a simple cross or cenotaph, erected preferably on the Godley plot, the balance to be used to create a fund under the title of "The Soldiers' Memorial Column Trusty; of the income, one-fourth to be capitalised and three-fourths used for the relief of persons suffering hardship as a result of the war, and ultimately tor some such purpose as the Cpa! and Blanket Fund ministers to. The following resolution was forwarded by the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Associa, tion: "That this executive places on record its very deep appreciation of the work of the Christchurch War Memorial Column Committee in collecting funds to provide a suitable memorial to those who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. In view, however, of the fact that since the conclusion of the war there ,has been a great deal of unemployment and distress among returned soldiers, this committee is of the opinion that the best form of memorial would be the establishment of a fund for the purpose of providing employment fcr returned t soldiers, and for the relief of distress among returned soldiers and their dependents." Speaking to a representative of The Pbesh after the meeting, Mr Gould stated that in deciding that the fund should be used for its original purpose the committee felt that the opinion of the public was that the committee should "stick to its guns" and erect the column. The question of the site for the memorial was not dealt with, but the committee desired that the column should be erected on the Godley site or, failing that being available, somewhere else. "But we have not abandoned hope of getting the site," be added. The committee had not favoured the proposal he had thrown out regarding the setting up of a fund as approved by the R.S.A. Mr Gould went on to state that the committee had the sum of about £7200 in hand for the purpose of erecting the column, and promises had been made for roughly another £IOOO. contingent on the column being erected in Cathedral square, "That is to say," he concluded, "that if we alter the site it may be open for subscribers to withdraw 'their promises."