MEMORIALS FOR CENTENNIAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22501, 8 September 1938, Page 4

MEMORIALS FOR CENTENNIAL

SUGGESTION MADE BY COMMITTEE FIVE MILE AVENUfc AND OBELISK A stone memorial erected at the top of the Warren street hill overlooking Oamaru, reached by an avenue of 100 trees and a five-mile-long avenue of trees along Thames highway leading into the town were among the centennial memorial suggestions made at a meeting of the local centennial committee on Tuesday. The Mayor (Mr L. J. K, Familton) presided. The memorial proposal was made by Mr E. D. Watts, one of the Oamaru Borough Council representatives on the committee, who suggested that an obelisk of rough stone —“solid and rugged and typical of the pioneers themselves” —should be constructed in the reserve on the top of the hill. “North Otago has got nothing in memory of the pioneers of the province,” said Mr Watts. “An avenue of trees could lead to the memorial —built of blue metal and tough concrete, he said. The scheme would be very inexpensive. Other towns had decided on centennial parks and tree-planting schemes, he added. He thought that the area should be called Centennial Park. The cost of the scheme would be obtained by private contributions—it would not be a local bod.w scheme, but purely a personal appeal. The avenue -of trees along Thames highway was proposed by Mr R, K. Gardiner, clerk to the Waitaki County Council. An avenue five miles long with trees every half a chain would mean IGOO trees altogether, he said. Each tree could be dedicated to thd pioneers of the province and the district, and some could be named after public men. The avenue—poplars or beech trees were preferred—would give a fine approach to the town. There could be a name plate under each tree, and he thought the money could be raised by private subscriptions. Mr J. C. Kirkness suggested that the families of the pioneers should be asked to give trees. If the committee decided on the names of the tree memorials there might be some disputes. The Government’s approval of treeplanting memorials was expressed in a recent circular letter received by the committee from the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. I Parry). The letter stated that it was j desired that every locality throughout the Dominion would have its centennial park either by acquiring a new I area or by replanning an existing do- ! main or recreation ground. In these I grounds trees could bo planted comj mnnoralinc individually the pioneis ■>nd others who had given signal scr--1 vice to the district during the last 100 years. RETURNED SOLDIERS’ ASSOCIATION MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The monthly meeting of the executive committee of the Oamaru Returned Soldiers’ Association was held recently, the chairman (Mr J. Tavendaie) presiding. A report on the work done at the annuffi conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association was made by Mr C. Rollo. Six new members were elected, and the roster of the association’s district vice-presidents approved. It was also agreed to visit the Upper Waitaki SubAssociation in October. Appreciation was expressed of the granting of pensions to several former servicemen. Messrs J. T. Adams J. E. .McNulty were appointed hospital visitors for the month. LATE NIGHT ON FRIDAY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR WEEK-ENDS Oamaru shops will remain open for late night on Friday until 10 o clock and close at noon on Saturday, in the Christmas and New Year week-ends, according to a decision made at the monthly meeting of the Retailers Committee of the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening. The chairman, Mr E. D. Watts, presided. The decision was made as Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve fall this year on a Saturday. It will only be followed provided similar arrangements are made in Dunedin and Timaru. A letter was received from the Chief Postmaster at Oamaru (Mr J. B. Purcell), in reply to representations made by the committee, about the establishment of a lighted sign on the post office, and alterations suggested to the posting boxes. The letter stated that the request for the lighted sign was not agreed to by the Post and Telegraph Department. Arrangements had already been made for the installation of posting boxes and the alterations suggested by the committee had been incorporated. The boxes would be available when the renovations were completed. A campaign advertising Oamaru as a holiday resort was decided on by the committee, and will take place towards the end of the year. A publicity committee, consisting of Messrs E. D. Watts, H. Hay, and J. T. Weir, was elected to make final arrangements for the campaign. The parking of bicycles two and three deep inside the footpath along Thames street was discussed, a suggestion being made that bicycle stands should be erected in the avenue at pedestrian crossings. The suggestion will be forwarded to the Oamaru Borough Council; It was mentioned in the discussion that the parking regulations and other traffic by-laws in the borough were not enforced and the need for full-time traffic inspection and traffic control was emphasised. POWER LINES AND TREE-PLANTING Power lines as one of the biggest obstacles to tree-planting schemes were, criticised by Mr James Rodman, chairman of the Waitaki County Council, at a meeting of the Oamaru Centennial Committee on Tuesday afternoon. The trees, once they had grown to a good height, had to be cut down, so as riot to interfere with the power lines, he said. Some memorial oaks planted in the county had to be constantly cut down to suit the wires. “The time is not very far distant when we will have to shift the trees,” he said. ;