FOR MEMORIALS TO MR. MASSEY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 8

FOR MEMORIALS TO MR. MASSEY

APPEAL TO LOCAL BODIES,

The Government is soliciting the co-operation of local bodies in the raising of funds for the erection of national memorials at Wellington to the late Mr. Massey.

Referring to the fact that the Auckland City Council has initiated a movement for a general subscripion for the purpose of erecting a national memorial to the late Mr. Massey, the Prime Minister (Sir Francis Bell) stated this morning that he had requested tho Mayors of the cities and boroughs and the chairmen of the county councils throughout the Dominion to co-operate in the effort by inviting public subscription.

It was proposed, he said, to erect a. monument over thegrave at Point Halswell and also a suitable memorial or istatue in the Parliamentary grounds, and that the control should be vested absolutely in a committee consisting of the Speaker of the Legislative Council, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister for the time being, the Chief Justice, and one person to be nominated by the Massey family. The whole personnel of the committee has signified its willingness to act. The committee will probably appoint a national treasurer to receive all money collected.

Cables and telegrams of sympathy with Mrs. Massey in the death of the late Prime Minister have been received in .such large numbers that it has been impossible to acknowledge them in the order of receipt, and the publication of some messages which were actually received a few hours after the death occurred has unavoidably been delayed. Among the wrold-wide'tributes received from oversea was the following from the American Consul-General:—"A cablegram from the Acting-Secretary of State at Washington requests us to convey to you the very sincere sympathy of the United States Government in your deep bereavement." Further messages of sympathy have been received from Lord Islington (ex-Governor of New Zealand), Lady Russell (London), and Sir Harold Beauchamp (Sydney).