Riding Members To Convene Meetings

Northern Advocate, 14 March 1947, Page 6

Riding Members To Convene Meetings

"I feel that the true significance of a memorial is subsidiary to monetary matters in many instances,” said the clerk (Mr H. C. Hemphill) at a meeting of the Whangarei County Council this morning. Since World War I the outlook of ■people toward war memorials had also changed, Mr Hemphill said. "People cannot get away with the idea that they are going to submit rough sketch plans,” he remarked. A proper architectural plan had to be drawn up before it would be considered. DUPLICATIONS There were going to be many disappointments. The Government would not subsidise memorials on domain lands. When erected all memorials had to be vested in the local authority for maintenance.

Mr Hemphill thought the Government would not approve four memorials in one district, which should probably have one district memorial.

It seemed ridiculous that in a district of a little over 20 miles four memorials should be suggested. Three proposals had been submitted from Mangakahia and one from Maungatapere. It was desirable that memorials should take the form of civic centres, said the chairman (Mr J. Morrison). Thej’ should be encouraged in rural districts. j But for working purposes it appeared that one central memorial for the whole of the county was the right thing. A swimming pool had been suggested for Maungatapere, said Mr H. E. Hewlett. If Whangarei decided on an Olympic pool it would hardly be worth having one at Maungatapere. The most important aspect of the matter was the fact that the council had to maintain the memorials. . “I can see a lot of difficulties in the way of rural memorials,” said Cr P. S. Carter. “It is almost impossible to reach a decision in a riding which has four or five centres.” CONTACT WITH PEOPLE A war memorial had to last many years and there was no great hurry at present, said Cr R. Feaver. He suggested that letters be sent to each district asking for opinions and giving some indication of the council’s views. Mr Hemphill said that the suggestion would be difficult to carry out, as there were no points of contact with the people unless members held meetings in their ridings. If it was to be a purely district memorial, the council would have to hurry, as the proposals in Whangarei were coming to a head. Cr Feaver moved that each member convene a meeting in his riding, seeking the opinions of the ratepayers. Some guidance should be gained from the Whangarei district war memorial planning committee, said Mr Hemphill. It would give members time to obtain sufficient information to give ratepayers. The motion was carried unanimously. it being decided not to hold any meetings until some concrete proposals had been put forward or decisions reached by the planning committee. DISTRICT PROPOSALS Hukerenui residents have suggested removing and modernising an old hall. In view of the increasing popularity of Whananaki, it would be fitting if the fine area of public lands along the Whananaki river could be made available for transformation into a picnic area, suggested Mr C. W. Yates, of Whananaki, in a letter. “If notices were erected warning the public that beasts must not wander unattended in the area, the cost of beautification would be small, as young pohutukawas and kowhais could be obtained in the district,” he stated. A public meeting at Titolci had decided to support a local war memorial f in the form of a sports area, it was reported. Funds had been raised and preliminary steps taken to purchase the land. Details of costs and plans were not yet available. The Whangarei Junior Chamber of Commerce submitted proposals fer the development of Parahaki as a memor- | ial park.

Councillors refrained from commenting on any of the proposals, as they felt that they could only express their own opinions and not those of the ratepayers.