WAR MEMORIALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25345, 29 October 1945, Page 7

WAR MEMORIALS

AECHITECTS' ADVICE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES Principles which it considers should guide any authorities *who will be responsible for the erection of war memorials have been set out by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. Its action was prompted by a recent request from a local organisation for an expression of opinion on the question. The first principle, the branch states, is that no memorial should be erected save in some position appropriate for the purpose. The second is that it would be well if the number of memorials could be limited by agreement between neighbouring communities. Case of Country Districts "One worthy memorial may be considered as being infinitely preferable to a large number of scattered small memorials, none of which is really worthy of the purpose," the statement adds. "However, it is understandable that in some small country district the relatives of those who have fallen would not feel satisfied with the erection of a large memorial which they might rarelj' see because it was placed in a town or city some distance away. In such a case the local memorial should take the simplest possible form, for example, a shaft of stone, with a suitable inscription, but it should.be noted that this smaller type of memorial requires as high a skill to avoid banality as a larger memorial." Symbolic or Utilitarian The third principle is that where the memorial is to be on a larger scale, although still small in scope, it would usually be preferable to have a purely symbolic type in some simple architectural form. Where sufficient funds were available, sculpture, either in the form of bas-reliefs or as free standing figures forming a part of the memorial, were appropriate and desirable. This should not be attempted, however, unless sufficient funds were available to engage a sculptor of known ability. "It is in the case of memorials upon a larger scale, in the larger towns and cities, or of a national memorial, where there will be most difference of opinion as to the relative merits of the symbolic or utilitarian form," the statement continues. "As the scale of the memorial increases, so does the necessity become greater to ensure that it shall express to the highest degree the emotional and spiritual values proper to such a memorial. Skilled Advice Needed

"It is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rule, but it can be said that if a building for use is to form the memorial, it should surely be some building which obviously has a relation to the deeds which it commemorates, as, for example, a hospital, institution for soldiers or their dependents, or a building of cultural value which can fittingly embody the memorial ideal. "It may be doubted, however, whether the direct symbolic form is not to be preferred if the purpose of the utilitarian memorial is to be forgotten through the years ahead. Whatever form is adopted, it is essential that the highest possible skilled advice should be obtained and it is imperative that professional advice should be sought at the very inception of the project. In memorials large in idea, scale and scope, the most successful result is usually to be obtained by the architectural competition."

THEFTS FROM STORE SIX MEN ADMIT GUILT (0.C.) "WHANGAREI, Saturday Following the capture of a Maori, Rnko Kelly, aged 22. labourer, in the store of T. P. Lane and Company at Rawene, in the early hours of Thursday morning, Kelly appeared before justices of the peace in the Rawene Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of breaking and entering with intent to commit a crime and was committed for sentence. As the result of his capture and police inquiries which followed, five other men—Victor Elias Stensness, aged 21, labourer; Brydon Keys, aged 19, cook; johnny Tawhai, aged 22, baker; Graham Tawhai, aged 19, baker; and Tom Henare, aged 21, farm hand—also appeared before the Court and admitted 14 charges of breaking, entry and theft. They were committed for sentence. Evidence was given by Mr F. 0. J. Langton, owner of the store, that since last April he had been missing stock from his store. It was found that a glass in a skylight in the roof was loose. A watch was kept and on Thursday morning at. about three o'clock. Kelly was seen getting through the skylight and was captured by a constable. Police inquiries followed and the other men were arrested. About £l6O worth of the £3OO -worth of missing goods had been recovered by the police at the homes of the various accused. OTAMATEA COUNCIL HOSPITAL LEVY QUESTION (0.C.) PAPAROA, Saturday At a meeting of the Otamatea County Council, Mr R. J. Baff, who has been county engineer for 37 years, advised the meeting of his desire to retire. The council requested him to continue to March 31 next. Mr A. W. Tassell, former assistant-engineer to the council, who has returned from overseas, will return to work in January. It was resolved to support the Hobson County Council in its request to the Works Department to make the Ruawai-Maungaturoto State highway an urgent work. The question of the building of a new hospital for the Kaipara Hospital Board at Dargaville again came forward, when a letter was received from the board asking for the council's approval to the decision to build on the Awakino Road site. The council raised no objection to building on the site proposed, but paid the hospital levy under protest, and expressed dissatisfaction with the present system of hospital taxation. BAND RECITAL A band recital was given by the Newmarket R.S.A. Band under Bandmaster A. Johatisen, and the Papakura Camp Band conducted by Captain R. Francis, at Carlaw Park yesterday afternoon. The audience filled the grandstand. The recital was in aid of the building fund of the Birkenhead R.S.A.