THE OAMARU MAIL SATURDAY., JUNE 5, 1920. THE OLD GAOL SITE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14706, 5 June 1920, Page 4

THE OAMARU MAIL SATURDAY., JUNE 5, 1920. THE OLD GAOL SITE.

We cannot endorse tho action taken by the Borough Council last night in rescinding the resolution passed nearly twenty months ago with-j'egard to the old gaol site. That resolution was as follows:—"That any decision with regard to the ultimate use of the gaol site be deferred until peace is declared, so that the public of North Otago may bo given tho opportunity of deciding whether the land shall be acquired for tHo purpose of a war memorial." To that determination very little, if any, antagonism was shown at the time. Indeed, a definite proposition by Councillor Swinard to utilise, the. site, or .partof it, for a memorial met with a good deal of favor both inside and outside the Council, and there was a general feeling that popular opinion upon .the subject should be .ascertained. It may be contended tliait ample time , has been given for a manifestation of the public mind upon the question, but a complete answer to any contention of that kind is found in the fact that no one in authority has ever taken any- steps to elicit an expression of public.opinion not only whether the site should be acquired for the purposes of a war memorial, but whether any memorial should 1)3 erected. The duty and tho privilege of taking the initiative clearly devolved upon tho Mayor, who may, not without justification, plead that since he assumed office a little over a year ago events of moment have arisen in such quick succession that he has not really had a reasonable. opportunity of taking action in the matter. That, however, was a reason for refraining from dealing with the land in any way in the meantime. There never was any thought that the Coflmcil should without compensation devote the land to the purpose of il war memorial, and the wording of tho resolution, wherein the. wordn "acquire for tho purpose of a war memorial" occur, clearly indicates the mind of the Council upon that point. There are two obvious reasons wjiy the land should not bo devoted by Uji» town to tiio purpose free of monetary recompense, one reason being financial and tho other sentimental. As to the financial confederation, it has to bo remembered that tho land did not come into the posni'ssiou of the Council aw an 1 ordinary endowment. In addition to three valuable sections, tho borough had to pav out of rates £2OOO to tho Government to acquito the site. Tho value of tho land may bo fairly feet down at £.3000. That would bo too big a contribution for tho borough to make to a. memorial representing tho whole of North Otago, and tho borough's finances would not warrant; makihe such a. grant, even if it wore fitting that tho cost of » memorial should bo borno by the local bodies. Thin bring* us to the sentimental reason against dedicating the-site to a war memorial freo of monetae consideration. A memorial to tho fallen soldiers provided out of rate# loses tho greater mart of its worth as a mark of appreciation of J-ho noblo sncri-

fices made by the honored dead and the whole of its sentimental value as a permanent perpetuation of th,eir memories by whole people. To possess any true sentimental value a memorial to our fallen heroes should be the spontaneous tribute of the whole people. A memorial paid for out of funds of local bodies lacks the essential element of spontaneity, and the whole cost devolves upon a section of the people—the ratepayers—and allows all other descriptions of wealth to go free. We are sure that the people of North Otago do not want a. memorial to the honored dead of such a character. Do they wish to j see a genuine memorial erected? We believe they do, and that there is no true man or woman who would card to subscribe to such a selfish doctrine, as may be summed tip in the single sentence : "The war is over and the victory won; we and our worldly "possessions are secure, and it is now no matter to us who made the sacrifices that placed us in! that happy position." We have a strong belief that the people of North Otago would gladly provide the means for perpetuating the memories of those who made the supreme sacrifice by a fitting memorial if, they were invited'to do so. The misfortune is that no inovement has been made towards affording the people an opportunity of giving expression to their sentiments. That is why we think the Borough Council committed an error in coming to the decision that t did last night. It wears the appearance of an official pronouncement that no memorial is contemplated, though we feel quite sure that no member of the Council entertained any thought of the kind.