REMOVAL OF MEMORIAL
Sir, —My attention has been drawn to a letter in last Saturday's Herald over the name of Arnold Harris, referring to the removal of the Rev. S. M. Spencer's memorial stone from his land at Maketu without his permission, and that the stone was his property. I regret that my action is not approved bv Mr. Harris. It was. however, done in good faith and I trust that he will not proceed with his intention to have the memorial taken back to Maketu for the following reasons: —(1) That consent for the removal of the memorial was obtained by me in writing from Mr. Cecil Way, a grandson of the Rev. Spencer. (2) That the memorial was lying on its back in the corner of a paddock without the setnblanco of a fence around it, uncalled for and unprotected from being trampled upon by cattle. (3) That the inscription on the stone refers to a period of 50 years' labour among the Arawa tribes' This - particularly appealed to me, and being Centenary Year the occasion demanded Arawa recognition and expression of gratitude to one who served them so faithfully in the past. Henco the removal to Rotorua, the centre of Arawa activities, with the affectionate endorsement of the Arawa people. (4) That at St. Faith's churchyard are several memorials to Arawa chiefs and, European friends to whom ho ministered during his lifetime. What more fitting place for this stone than in this historical and sacred spot. (5) That in the future the tender hearts and willing hands of Arawa boys and girls, mindful of his invaluable services, will tend and look after this stone. (6) That the removal to the present site has beeh approved by a grandson and a grand-daughter of this great missionary. (7) That the memorial is a valuable link with tho past and is an inspiration to all who attend divine services at St. Faith's Church, and who ponder and think of a life full of unselfish and devoted service for the highest ideals of his faith. H. Tai Mitchell.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19351108.2.155.5
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22261, 8 November 1935, Page 15
Word Count
347REMOVAL OF MEMORIAL New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22261, 8 November 1935, Page 15
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries and NZME.
Log in