THE JUBILEE MEMORIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12430, 20 February 1901, Page 3

THE JUBILEE MEMORIAL.

A MEETING- OF SUBSCRIBERS AND ' , THE GENERAL COMMITTEE. THE PROPOSED SITES. NO DECISION. A meeting of the Jubilee Celebrations ’General Committee, and subscribers of the Jubilee Memorial Fund was held in the CityCouncil Chambers yesterday afternoon at four o’clock. Mr W. Reece (chairman) presided', and , there was an. attendance of between, .thirty and forty, including several ladies. The Chairman said it was a considerable time since the committee, had met. The Jubilee had been celebrated, and it would, he thought, be the opinion of the General Committee that the sub-committees had carried out their duties well. With regard to a memorial, as they knew, an order had been sent/Home, and it would be their duty at that meeting to discuss the question of selecting a site for it. Since the form of the memorial had been decided on, the position had been altered by the death of Queen Vic-, toria. l;The Chairman then called on the chairmen' of the various committees to report bn the work done. ■ Mr H. F. ■ Wigram (Chairman of the Memorial Committee) stated that the sum of £1264 4s r 7d had been subscribed, and tbe committee had decided that, in view of the special significance which the memorial would now have, it was advisable to push on the matter with energy. Tho Chairman stated that the statue ordered by the committee was tho one which both the Queen and the members of . her family had considered the best likeness of her Majesty. ' It, was the most suitable that could be obtained.

Mr G. Harper (Chairman, of the Ceremonial Committee) reported that his committee 'had been successful. 1 The •general expenses had amounted, to £42 14s, arid the receipts. ,to £SB 10s, leaving a debit balance of £4 4s. The visit of th© Maoris had brought in £705 6s f lOd, but the : expenses had also been heavy, amounting to £657 7s 4d, leaving a credit balance of £47 19s 6d. Th© mlw»y fares of th© Maoris in the NorthIsland amounted to £l3O, and the committee anticipated that the Government would grant 'a. refund. H that were done, /the committee would be able do hand over to the General Committee a sum of about £177. /

' The Chairman stated that the chairmen of the other committees were not present, ..hut they all had; favourable reports to .make. The ‘ meeting would l have to consider the ’ important matter of raising funds.;to carry out the scheme for a memorial:. The total cost would be £2OOO, and a sum of about £BOO was available. Consequently, they would have to display. considerable energy in follecting the balance. So far, the only subscriptions had come from, the city, he regretted to say, and there had not been much support from the country, though it was hoped! that a considerable sum would be obtained outside of Christchurch. He..had made out a list of those who would be likely to. subscribe, and they could be communicated .with. . Mr H. B. Sorensen suggested that vol.unteerd should be called for collecting. Mr J. Connal thought those whose names were on the list should be communicated with by circular. Dr Levings said the general body of workers should be reached, so that the memorial should be truly representative. Tne country people, had escaped to a great extent, and they should be communicated with. He was sure that the lack of subscriptions was not from want of patriotism, but want of organisation on the part'of the committeee. ,

Mr Connal moved—“ That a circular •should be sent to all those likely to sub-, 'scribe, asking them to send in their subscriptions as soon aa possible.” He also thought that an advertisement should be inserted in the newspapers inviting!; subscriptions.

' Mr O. Archer seconded)! the motion pro forma. ■■ - . ■ 1

Mr H. J. S, Harman suggested that .circulars should be sent to tho public ;sdicols in the province, sot-bat the children wo'yld be able to subscribe in small sums. A good sum, he thought, could be collected! in the schools. Mr W. Ghrystall said he thought that sub-committees should be appointed to canvas both?the town and the country. Archdeacon Cholmondeley thought a per-, ; , sonal canvass should be made, as the sending of circulars would not be successful. The Chairman stated! that every Mayor ■and every Chairman of a Road Board had already been communicated with, and everything had been done except personal ; canvassing. As to setting-up a) sub-com-mittee, ' they already had! committees .which could undertake the work. The appeal by circular had not been successful.. Mr Harman said circulars had been sent out before the death of I the Queen, and there was more feeling on the subject now. Mr Sorensen said. Mr Harman’s idea was .a very good one, and if a personal canvass was undertaken, the money would be obtained. Mr J. B. Fisher moved —“That in view of the altered: circumstances occasioned, by the death of her late Majesty, a. fresh appeal should be made to the public by the committee.” ; , Mr Harman seconded the motion l . The Rev W. Banmber did not, think that circulars would be successful, but a house-to-house canvass would. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr O. F. Bourne said it should be clearly remembered that the position liad changed entirely since the death of the Queen. There should be no entertainment now, to raise the. funds. The people should recognise that the memorial would be to the Queen, and no one should be pressed to subscribe. The working classes should be approached, and 1 their shillings and sixpences should be solicited. Mr Sorensen said that Mr E. W. Seager was willing to go round the, schools and

give lectures on the Queen’s reign, the proceeds to go to the memorial. Several of those present thanked Mr Seager for his offer. Mr J. B. Fisher moved —“ That the matter of entertainments should be left to the discretion ofthecommitice.”

Mr Bourne moved, as an. amendment — “ That the committee should be requested not to allow any entertainment to bo advertised as under its auspices.”

, Mr Archer seconded the amendment. : Mr Connal said he saw no objection, to .advertising the entertainments, , Archdeacon Gholmondeley said the matter should be left to the committee. He did not think the committee should raise funds by means of entertainments, but there could he no objection to its receiving funds which had been obtained by individual peopie by means of entertainments. . The amendment was lost, and the motion was earned. ■ ‘ The. -Chairman' then'-stated ‘ that; several sites had 1 been suggested for the memorial, and the matter should bo decided; at that meeting. ■ He detailed'several ' schemes and suggestions fqr sites; already published,- and read a letter-front Mr-S. Hurst-Seager, suggesting .the lawh. ini the Public Gardens formerly used as, an archery ground. The Chairman- also. read, a letter from -Messrs Shand and Pratt, suggesting that the present Godley statue should be-removed,- and the Queen’s statue put in its place, with the Godley’ statue on. one side, and! that of the late Mr Sefton- M-oorhouse on the other. In their opinion, -the present position of the tram-lines in Cathedral Square caused danger and' inconvenience, and if any other statue, were placed in that locality, the tram-lines' could be removed further west, and the street widened. .

Mr F. Waymouth said that the removal of the Godley statue from its present position in Cathedral Square, to make room for the Queen’s statue, would l be an act of vandalism. Certainly such a thing would not have been desired'by her late Majesty. He moved that the first site proposed, which included the removal of the Godley statue, should not bo considered. The Hon C.-C. Bowen seconded the motion. The Godley statue, ho said, had been placed there by the Provincial Council, and no statue which had been set up by the will of the people should ever he removed. : Mr Murray-Aynsley said he had the same feelings ' with wegard! to the Sefton Moorhouse statue, which it was proposed should be placed in the Square cn one side of the Queen’s statue. ' 1 The motion, was carried.

Mr Waymouth suggested that a good site would be the triangle in front of Messrs Joynt and Andrew’s offices in Gloucester Street, and, Mr Fisher suggested the open space in. front of the Registrar’s office, in, the Supreme Court Buildings, Mr E. G. Staveley moved that the site should be between the Godley statue and. Morten’s Buildings, at the point where the ’lamp-post "stands at .present. , Mr Harman seconded the motion. Tho statue, ho said, should be placed in such a position that the inscription on it could be read easily, and.should not be stood with-, in enclosure. Mr; ;A.l f 'Car fldfe bri ovediail ■thaC-Hie itiuestion; pi', o, ; sftd - shotdß-.''haj;hlld: - over for the present. Mr

Committee. .. Whichever site was selected,' some local body’s permission would bave t 0,,, -be obtained, and .other circumstances v r-ukL. bo sure to arise. !i , U,, ,hi It was decided that the matter' held over for three weeks, to enable-the' Memorial Committee to prepare a report.

It was decided, on the motion of Mr Fisher,: 'seconded! J.'t'TJtH&r', cock, that votes of thanks should be passedto the Ceremonial, Old Colonists’ and Entertainment Committees for their work dmv ing the Jubilee celebrations.