CAPTAIN COOK MEMORIAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 277, 25 November 1919, Page 8

CAPTAIN COOK MEMORIAL.

THE BALANCE OF THE FUND

The Captain Cook Memorial Comnittee, whose operations were suspended' during the war, held a meetin"- yesterday afternoon in C'orry and Go's rooms to consider the disposition of the balance of the fund. There were present: Messrs S. M. Neville (in the chair), J- J. Corry, E. J. Hill, F. B. Fraser-Tytler, R. WJenkins (hon. treasurer), and W. lv Allen (hon. secretary). It was explained that, there remained in hand about £300, this being the balance, with the interest, after contributing to the Marlb.orough patriotic funds in connection with the great war the sum of £100 which was donated to the Captain Cook fund as the residue of the More Men Fund raised during the South African war. The cost of the monument erected at Ship Cove was about £225. The unexpended portion of the Government £ for £ subsidy of £400 was a;2vO, and the surplus mentioned was exclusive of this amount. The understanding was that the Committee would be entitled to this money when it had spent an equivalent sum inaddition to the expenditure already recorded. In 191t the Prime Minister (Mr Massey) promised to give favorable consideration to an application to increase the Government subsidy to £500. At a later stage in that year the Committee resolved to abandon the project of erecting a large monument on Moiuara Island, the cost of this work being estimated at £1200 to £1500, and therefore being considered beyond the existing, and also the prospective capacity of the fund; and it was decided to bring the Memorial movement to finality along other lines. On that occasion the understanding was that the Committee would be entitled to the.unexpended portion of the /Government.subsidy when it. had spent an equiva- J lent sum in addition to the expenditure already recorded. Not long afterwards the Avar broke out, and it j was agreed to hold the movement \ in abeyance. !

The hope was expressed that the Government subsidy would be found to be still available whatever form of memorial in addition to the monun:ent at Ship''Cove;'was decided upon. In that event the Committee would have about £590 for disposal. It was resolved to have ' a tablet recording the tin veiling ceremony attached to the Ship Cove monument. The Committee resolved to erect a cairn at the highest point on Motuara Island to mark the. spot where Captain Cook hoisted the flag and proclaimed Eritisii sovereignty over the South Island.

An executive was appointed to carry out these works and to compose the inscriptions. It was calculated that, provision having been made for these commitir.cnts, and for a secretarial bonus, the committee woukl—if the, remaindo v of the Government subsidy could be secured—have about/£490 or £500 to apply to some main memorial purpose.

A sub-committee was appointed to go into the matter of obtaining the full benefit of the Government subsidy, and to ascertain whether the establishment of a naval scholarship would be a practicabler,and suitable form of memorial. >^