CONDITION OF HEADSTONES

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27302, 19 March 1954, Page 12

CONDITION OF HEADSTONES

SOLDIERS’ CEMETERY AT ‘BROMLEY

R.S.A. EXPRESSES CONCERN

The executive of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association has been concerned about the condition of some headstones at-the Bromley Cemetery, says the president of the association (Mr G. D. Hattaway), in his annual report, to be presented to the annual meeting on March 30. “There are several hundred graves whieh still have temporary crosses, the reason being that these mark the graves of .men whose deaths were not attributed to war service, the responsibility for erection of a stone therefore devolving on the next of kin,” says Mr Hattaway. “For a variety of reasons, no action has been taken, and as a result, the wooden crosses remain. Many of them have deteriorated and need repainting or replacing. “The executive held a conference with an official of the Ministry of Works in an endeavour to find some way by which permanent stones could be .supplied, but the estimated cost, between £4OOO and £5OOO, has so far prevented a solution to the problem. We have requested the department to have the crosses repaired of replaced as necessary, and to repaint them all.” Jellicoe Hall Extensions _

Mr Hattaway says a start has been made on renovations to Jellicoe Hall. Plans are to lengthen the hall by 14ft, erect a modern stage, vestibule, dressing rooms and cloak rooms; and remodel the conveniences, enlarge and redesign, the kitchen and diningroom, and erect bar premises on the back jawn. Tlie extensions should be completed by June, he says.* Several grants were made during the year under the scheme for R.S.A. educational bursaries; and further applications are invited, says Mr Hattaway. The main object is to provide educational facilities at secondary schools for members’ children who, because of economic reasons or distance from schools, would otherwise be debarred from obtaining a secondary education. Discussing the Royal visit, Mr Hattaway says that the Queen remarked to Mr D. Barrett, Canterbury district vice-president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association, that nowhere in their travels had she and of Edinburgh seen so big a proportion of men wearing former servicemen’s badges as in New Zealand.

The following notice of motion will be discussed at the meeting: “That a sum of £lOOO he set aside annually from Poppy Day collections for the purpose of hospital visiting.” Referring to sick visiting, the report ; says that 3278 visits were made to patients in the Christchurch Public Hospital during last year, and 527 to natients in the Burwood Hospital. There were also 289 visits to former servicemen in private homes.