“LITTLE HOPE LEFT"

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4309, 26 July 1950, Page 8

“LITTLE HOPE LEFT"

WAR MEMORIAL SCHEME “IT IS A 1000 PITIES” COROMANDEL COUNTY MEETS There is apparently now very Bittle hope of anything being done in the near future with respect to the proposed war memorial at Coromandel and recent actions by the Coromandel 'Returned Servicemen’s Association have created a position which means the whole proposal will have to be reviewed

from a new angle. At the Coromandel County Council meeting held in May last plans and specifications of a building proposed to be erected on county property adjoining the proposed altered county council chambers were presented and the council carried a resolution approving of them. Since then the Coromandel R.S.A. had held its annual meeting when a new president and committee were elected. The new offiers had completely changed the ideas of the association and had now carried resolutions at an extraordinary general meeting to rescind any previous arrangements and had purchased St. George’s hall in Coromandel, which was to be converted into a hall far the association.

That was the context of a report to the July meeting of the county council by the county clerk, Mr J. H. Lucas. He continued that at first opportunity he would draft out a full report to the war memorial commit-

tee, of which he was the secretary, to let them know that all attempts to bring about a war memorial community centre had now fallen through.

It will be remembered that the Coromandel R.S.A. was proposing to join forces with the public of Coromandel in the erection of a commun-

ity centre, which would also be the war memorial. The association’s purchase of the existing public hall, known as St. George’s now meant that the whole question of a war memorial would have to be reviewed. Cr T, V. Whittle said he very much regretted the fact that the suggested community centre had come to nothing. “Two years ago when the war memorial committee was set up, in conjunction with the R.S.A., there was every hope that a nucleus at least, of a very desirable thing was being brought about. “It is a thousand pities that, having gone ,so fair there is no immediate 'hope of anything being done in the near future,” said Cr Whittle.

“There has 'been no further attempt on the Minister’s part to further these schemes. It was incumbent on the people to get plans etc., formulated to be sent to the Minister—in most cases only to be sent back for revision. The well wishing people all over the country feel frustrated in their attempts to get ahead with their war memorial, said Mr Whittle.

“I regret that all efforts to date here mi> Coromandel have come to nothing. W T e owe a good deal to Mr Lucas for all the work he has done in this direction with no immediate result. It is to be hoped that at some future date another attempt will be made,” concluded Mr Whittle.