Camp Closing Down

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 290, 8 December 1936, Page 8

Camp Closing Down

UNEMPLOYED SOLDIERS AT PARAPARAUMU.

One of the three unemployment camps at Paraparaumu was closed down last week. This is the camp in Soldiers’ road, about two miles from the township. Although the gates of the camp are to be closed, it is understood that for the present it is not intended to demolish the camp. It is stated that two men will be left to look after the (buildings, tents and gardens. For the purpose of easing the burden of the single unemployed soldiers, the Reform Government established a relief camp in Beach road, Paraparaumu, on June 25th, 1932. The demands on the camp -were such that it could not absorb all the men offering, and on July 19th a second camp was formed in Soldiers’ road. Many hundreds of men have passed through this camp, which at time accommodated as many as 95. During the past few weeks a largo number of men from tho two soldiers’ camps have been drafted to tho Pukorua Bay road works on standard rates of pay. Those who were left at Soldiers’ road have been transferred to the Beach road camp. The soldiers have worked a trans-fers-tion since they first entered the ■mp. Where the took over fern.overed grazing land, now stands a model camp and a beautifully-tended vegetable and flower garden, the former of which has yielded in large quantities produce which would have graced any show bench in the country. The men were proud of their fine gardens, with its trim paths, and many hundreds of city motorists have admired it.

Some of the men in the camp have been there so long that the closing of the gates is far from being a joyous event for them. One old soldier who was one of the original settlers in the camp expressed himself as follows: “Although camp life in tents during the winter is not just what one would choose, conditions in this camp have been ideal at times. Old mates who fought in the same battalion, in the same battery or ‘somewhere in France’ have met and fought their battles over again. About two years ago, at a concert party for ‘diggers’ in the Paraparaumu hall, we were informed by a prominent speaker that the R.S.A. executive looked upon us as ‘holding the front line.’ Yes, that may have been so, but no one thought of sending us a relief force. During 191418 many of the men in the camp fought in trenches and shell-holes—during our stay at the old camp instead of trenches and shell-holes we have worked in stump-holes and ditches, our weapons being long-handled shovels, grubbers and axes instead ,of rifles, bayonets and hand grenades. However, memories of Soldiers’ road camp will always remain with us. We met all sorts and classes of men, from the man who is never satisfied to the philosopher who takes things as they come. We always had the grouser, the wit, the wag, and the happy-go-lucky. Some of them were distinct characters whose personalities will long keep them* in the memory. Anyhow, we have said ‘good-bye’ to the Soldiers' road camp, but we will always remember those ■mho were mates there-”