THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1923. THE WAR MEMORIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18998, 20 October 1923, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1923. THE WAR MEMORIAL.

It would be idle to attempt to disguise the all too obvious fact that the progress of the War Memorial project in Dunedin has been distinctly disappointing. The Mayor has candidly applied the epithet "extraordinary'’ to the comparative failure of the appeal for funds on behalf of an object the worthiness of which few people would care to question. It is true that there are some circumstances which may possibly be considered to diminish, though not entirely to remove, the inexplicability of the situation. From the start there has been difference of opinion concerning the form which the memorial should take; and many of the utilitarians, so to style them, may have refrained from contributing towards the erection of an obelisk. There has also been lack of unanimity on the matter of site, though perhaps this consideration would not materially affect the volume ui subscriptions. Again, it may bo that a feeling of disillusionment in regard to the political results of the world-conflict may, in a muddled and irrelevant fashion, havfe tended to check the flow of contributions. People have been heard to say that they had no desire to commemorate the war. This objection could hardly apply to the idea of honouring the valiant dead, who gave their lives for country and Empire: and “ Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial ” might have been a better designation than " War Memorial.” Yet again, the inception of the movement was rather belated. The enterprise should have been started and vigorously pressed forward more than four years ago when public sentiment was touched by the first gladness of relief. Special methods of raising the required funds have been suggested from time to time, —including the incongruous proposal to hold a huge carnival, —but we cannot think that the abandonment of these artificial schemes is to be regretted. In a grave

matter of this kind the thought of cajoling the community into what may be termed an indirect and inconsiderate sort of liberality is repugnant to a proper sense of seemliness. The posilion now is that the promoters teel constrained to curtail the projected scope cf the enterprise. The far from extravagant objective of £IO,OOO has to be pronounced unattainable, and the modified minimum has been fixed at £7OOO. This will, of course, involve an appreciable modification of the architectural design which had been tentatively adopted ; but there is reason to believe that it will still be possible to provide a monument not unworthy, as regards impressiveness and comeliness, of the lofty memorial motive. After all, the much-admired cenotaph at Whitehall did not cost anything like £7OOO. The substitution of local for Indian stone will probably be approved on general ae well as economical grounds. Indeed, the reason for the original choice of Indian stone has never been quite clear. Even the execution of the altered design will involve the raising of a further sum of considerably over a thousand pounds; but at the meeting of thai executive committee this week the Mayor went so far as to take the responsibility of seeing that the amount was forthcoming. Knowing Mr Tapley’s vigour of purpose and action, we might be inclined to regard that statement as the end of the matter; but it behoves the community in honour to see that the task of fulfilling the engagement is not} too arduous.