MEMORIAL TABLET.

Evening Star, Issue 12028, 28 October 1903, Page 8

MEMORIAL TABLET.

TO WEST HARBOR- CONTTNG F.NTERB. A memorial tablet in honor of the men of W fsi Harbor who wen’ in Stmt.li Africa, wnh the New Z-.iia.nd tioivttf* was unveiled at the Ravcnsbounie Town Hall last night- before a roonaftil of interested spectators. The borough Mayor iMr F. (1. Cray) presided, and had with him on the platform Mr’./. F. M. Ftasvr. Major Jackson, the Rov. Dr Nicolson. the Rev. Mr NicoJ, and Captain (1. W. Macdonald. Apologies for absence were received frr-ia cx-Mayors Ross. Moller. and Bolton, who were attending a .Masonic function in Dunedin, and from Mr C. E. (ieonge. Alter (lie West Tlarbor Hrass Band had played tlie National Anthem, j The Chairman explained the object of the ! gathering—to do honor in those voting men j of the district who left New Zealand to go to light in the Transvaal War. and whose names appeared on the tablet. They mustno I- forget, either, that this- wm also a. memorial in loving memory ’of Trooper Hugh Gillies, who died of euterie fever in j Africa. He then touched on tin- educating | influence of the war. and urged that, its i lessons he mu. forgotten, lb- then called j upon j M’’ d. ]•’. M. Fraser, who exposed his ! pleasure at being there to take pan in >ucii i a function. He was proud, he said, of the ! pan he'had ta.keii in the .-•ending away of’ contingents, and went- on to speak of (he i willingness with which tha W a Harbor j district ha.d come forwai i with men and i money throughout tlie patriotic movement. 1 It, was true that they had given their help, j and it was tnu- that Mo.y had lost, one : but j war was 1 i- gam',- that cos- Inuir-ci lives. Tht y were there jo sympathf-v with the) rMntive.s, but lei them renumber' ili.lv they j 1 1 ad lost one only and they might have 10.-a ; a ,f . and in time ilify would eon;e ie. r-adise j viivd, a. grand death it was. and so take j comfort. After •peaking generally of the j war ard its significaure, Mr Fraser went on to recount the work of the I'aniotic Committer. Tli-'ra ware sonic members of the community. he said, who dreadid (hat the desire- to do honor to and perpetuate Hu* meinory of the men who hud fallen in South Africa overshadowed the necessity of attending to the wants of the men who had return invalided, and to the necessities of these, who had lost- relatives who assisted in maintaining the farailv* home. Ir would, therefore, ho of interest to give brief re- j suine of (he result of the labor- of the Patriotic Committee in tins latte direction up to tlie 20th of June. 190"-. Tin- following wa.sa rough statement of the work done and expenditure:—Men insisted will: small suras, or tt-mporarv accommodation ptovi te-l. 617. at a cost of £625; invalids as- ! sisted with amounts from £6 upwards, allowances, ninths, medical exoensw. a.rtiiiciai limbs, convalescents sent to sanatoria, 211. at a cost of £3,457: compensatory allowances to dependent relatives. £351. The Committee, had also to administer £I.OOO scut out; by Floyd's for men in the colony who had been perm.uietu'.v injure-1 ; £l4O was added out of the .Mansion House Fund, and fifty men were assisted to the extent of £1.140. Tho actual cos; ri f adm ini strut ion for Hire.- years, including stationery, telegrams. salary of assistant sccreaai v. etc., was £255. Since June tin re. had been a j further expenditure (including the balance of the Ma.nf.ion House Fund, £260). but Lloyd’s remitted another £SOO on receiving a- report of the administration of their prior gram. and. speaking approximately, there had Iveeii an expenditure up to 'date of about £*..100 on 900 men. leaving a balance in hand of £1,500, inclusive of Lloyd's second donation. In all cases Hi" closest inquiry was made from responsible (rersmis in the district where the applicant resided, and lie thought- the case-; of imposition had been run-. The correspondence in . connection with the work of the Commili.ee had hern very voluminous, and. as far as he knew, the fund had been most jioliciousiv and carefully expended.—(Applause.) '(’hr man who was entitled to the greatest credit for keeping this fund in tha colonv was Te Bight Hon. the Premier.—(Applause.) “ Keep, your money," he said; "you will want every peuuy of it." And they did. He thought, that the people of Hie ‘colour might be proud of their present position, and. speaking for himself, he. could sav that the money had been, well spent, Captain G. W. Macdonald, who v .as called upon to say a few words, began bv expressing the pleasure it gave., him' to he then-, and to meet Mr Fraser and Ids o’d friend Major Jackson. They were- met ' here to commemorate coo of the greatest historical events that had ever taken place in Ravcnsbuiirnc. In unveiling that tablet they were making history, Irecause there was no doubt that the Boer War consolidated the Empire in ,i way that no other event in our previous history had done. Everyone wti-o had lived through that time would rcmemkr the wave of patriotism that went round Hie world. When he heard surprise expressed t.lvit the New Zealanders, had done so well in South Africa he was amused. He thought it would have been surprisin'' had they done otherwise. The fathers and mothers of thdse men came across* the world to an unknown country to carve out new homes for. Hiemsclv-es. and would anyone say that the- men and women who Tid*this had not. grit, pluck, and stamina? They must have had it ; and when their' sons went to South Africa, if they had not ticquitted themselves like men they would have beTu-d their breeding.—(Applause.) ]n conclusion. Captain Macdonald remarked that one of the lessons we had got to learn was that if Britain ever went to war again tlicre was nothing more certain than that men would k required from every part of the Empire, and having put our" hand to the plough wc could’not turn back again.— (Applause.) The Rev. Dr Nieokon and the K< v. Mr Nicoll also so oka. and the band Wma- i

TO WEST HAnnor. COXTIXOKXTKBS. A memorial tablet hi honor of the men of W esi Harlx<r wlio wrent ;o South Africa wnh the New Zealand contingent;! was im-vcil-'-d at the Ravensbounie Town Hall la,s|. night before a roomful of interested spectators. The. borough Alayor i Mr 1-. G. Gray) presided, aud harl with him mi (he platform Air J. E. AL Eiasi-i. Major Jackson, the Rev. Dr N'icokstm. the Rev. Mr NicoJ.

again played ths National Anthem the ceremony concluded. fhe tablet is a well-designed and hand somely-executod piece of brasswork. worked by Alessre Afoiler and Sons from the drawing of Air R. Hawcridge. It bears'the* names of Corporal J. J. Low (Fourth Gon- 1' tmgent), H. G. Gillies (Sixth Contingent), n (,r. Harold and J, Gaimey (Seventh Contin- v gent). A. Gibson arid AY. Guy (Ninth Con- j y tmgent). In the centre of the tablet is the c following:—“ Erected by the people cf ot vyest Harbor in honor of the voung men ; i wno left this district to fight fen King and i I country in tho Transvaal War, 1900-05.” 1 1 t)u the right of the tablet is written; —“ In I I memory of Trooper- H. C. Gillies (Sixth!’ New Zealand Contingent), who died at 1 LTarJeriown, South Africa, lltji February, I 1J Eulce et decorum e>t pro patna morn 1