DEPLORABLE STATE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4365, 6 December 1950, Page 8

DEPLORABLE STATE

BUFFALO CEMETERY A DIFFICULT PROBLEM PUBLIC (MEETING TO BE HELD The November meeting of the Coromandel Chamber of Commerce was held in the school on Thursday, November 30, when Mr A. S. Tonkin presided. As a result,of an inspection of the Buffalo cemetery made by Messrs A. S. Tonkin and H. V. Denize, Mr Tonkin gave a report to the meeting. Describing the cemetery as being in a deplorable state, overgrown from one end to the other with pig fern, blackberry and gorse, he said the job did not appear quite so difficult as was thought at first. He and Mr Denize agreed that, provided a working bee of men, say up to 20, was available not necessary on one day, but on two or possibly three days, the place could be cleaned up. A suggestion was put forward that breaks be cut and a flame thrower used. The main growth seemed to be pig fern. The crux of the whole matter seems to be not the clearing but the maintaining of same which was a very different story, said one member. Two points seemed in the main to be at issue. • (a) The county council could not possibly keep up the maintenance by manual labour. (b) Clearing done by a working bee would be work lost unless continually done again and again. The soldiers’ plot was like an oasis in the desert, but although grass had been sown during the last few weeks, and it was nice and green pig fern was already coming up through it. If left just a few more weeks the grass would be gone and fern would again cover the area. It was pointed out that only a few odd graves were attended and that also seemed a hopeless task with the growth from adjoining plots spreading everywhere. A discussion ensued and Mr T. V. Whittle, who was more familiar with what had'been discussed or done by the county Council, was asked as to what he could suggest to be the best course of action. He said that first and foremost a fund had to be established for the perpetual maintenance of the cemetery. If that was done then the men who cleared it up would feel that their work would be of some permanent use. They were discussing what was hallowed ground, and the method of clearing the overgrowth and maintaining some order was necessarily restricted in consequence. He then suggested that the county council be asked to convene a meeting of those who were interested and to invite ministers of the religious bodies and representatives of the chamber of commerce and R.S.A. to discuss ways and means of establishing a fund for the upkeep of the cemetery. The cost of the maintenance of the cemetery should not rest on the relatives of those' who were buried there, which would be the case if the charges of the plots and services was increased to meet present day costs. Some ways and means of how to establish a fund for upkeep of the cemetery in reasonable order must be considered and the methods to be used for such work could be more easily decided after the views of the people previously mentioned had been ascertained.

A suggestion was made that representatives of various organisations should be invited to attend the convened meeting, but it was felt that the number would be too large and would stultify the object in view. Some plan should be formulated and then other organisation)); should be invited to assist.

Mr H. V. Denize said he would answer for about 20 men from the R.S.A. for a working bee, and that number, plus some from the chamber of commerce would form a good starting point when the time came to commence work.

It was decided to adopt Mr Whittle’s suggestion and ask the county council to convene a meeting to discuss the matter.