PROPOSED MEMORIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 201, 15 July 1936, Page 11

PROPOSED MEMORIAL

PRELIMINARY WORK.

ON MT. STEWART,

The erection of a memorial on Mount Stewart to perpetuate the memory of the pioneers of the Manawatu district was again discussed by the Manawatu County Council, at its monthly meeting at Sanson, yesterday. When the subject was introduced Cr. J. H. Perrett, as chairman of the memorial committee, explained that in his opinion the council should not be the body to decide on any major matter. Jt was his view that a public meeting should be held when the preliminary work had been done by 'the committeo appointed by the council. At that meeting the major issues could be brought to finality. If the council decided important matters the wholo subject would be too parochial, as tfie interest in the memorial extended far beyond the coniines of the county. Personal,y, ho had advanced the opinion that the scheme for the building of the memorial should be part of the Dominion centennial celebrations, because there appeared to him a distinct possibility of a subsidy, perhaps £1 for £l, being available under thoso conditions. That would enable the erection of a really fine memorial. However, if it was felt that a commencement should bo made with the collection of funds, that should not atfect the securing of a subsidy later. Tho chairman (Cr. W. E. Barber) said that Mr W. J. Croucher had expressed the opinion that an executive should be set up to control the arrangements. Mr Croucher had received several promises of money ior the memorial and he considered that the movement should be carried forward now. Four years was a long time to wait if the memorial was to bo part of the centennial celebrations in J. 940, and a number of old people might have passed away by then. Cr. D. W. He id said he thought that the proposal should be put under way. The council should move so that the general public would know that something was being done. Cr. W. E. Pearce said that Mr Croucher was very keen to have the matter taken up in the near future. Cr. Perrett said that it had already been decided that a public meeting would be held in a month or two, and the settlers themselves would then decide when the memorial would be erected, that was not a matter for the council.

The chairman agreed that such a decision was not tor the council to make. That should bo made by the settlers, and tho work of the council ended when the site had been prepared and the other preliminary work completed. At the suggestion of the chairman, the county clerk (Mr A. K. Drew) was authorised to make inquiries Irom the Lands Department as to how the erection of a memorial would affect the trig station used for survey purposes on Mount Stewart.