SOUVENIR OF WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21399, 25 January 1933, Page 12

SOUVENIR OF WAR

GUN AT PAPAKURA WANTED FOR EXPERIMENTS A letter asking the Papakura Town Board whether it would allow him to take off its hands the light, German machinegun which for many years has had a place in the Papakura Public Library, was received at a meeting of the board on Monday evening from a Dunedin solicitor, Mr. J. F. G. Stark. "I am at present conducting on my own behalf a scries of experiments in the automatic loading of field and other guns, and tho possession of this weapon would be of material assistance to me. All charges for transit would be paid by me," Mr. Stark wrote.

Mr. Stark said he had noticed in an Otago newspaper an item reprinted from the New Zealand Herald relative to a neglected war relic, a German light ma-chine-gun, which he understood tho board desired to dispose of. He was a captain of tho 12th Field Battery, New Zealand Artillery, and tho Dunedin City Corporation had kindly granted liim the use of a German field piece in connection with his research. "I appreciate that you would prefer to hand tho gun to some public or semi-official body, but I trust that you will give my request favourable consideration," the letter concluded. When tho mattor was discussed a member of tho board, Mr. D. Weir, said he was in favour of complying with the request. "It is only a piece of scrap iron and of no value to anyone," ho said. Mir. G. Kerr said he did not agrep with Mr. Weir. The gun was a souvenir and should not be given away. The chairman, Mr. H. E. McEntce, said it had never been intended that the gun should bo disposed of out of'tho district. It had only been offered to the school committee because it was thought that it would be of educational value. The board decided by six votes to one. to rcfuso the request.