WAR GRAVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19687, 14 January 1926, Page 9

WAR GRAVES.

SUPPLY OP HEADSTONES. POLICY OF GOVERNMENT. (Peb United Pbess Association.) HAWERA, January 13. At the seaside village of Ohawe, a few miles from Hawera, lies a little military cemetery, in which are buried 24 British soldiers*, who were killed in engagements around the district during the Maori war. The cemetery was originally private land, owned by Mr James Livingston, himself a veteran, who for many years, at his own expense, cared for the cemetery and erected a memorial cai)rn. Subsequent to his death, the land containing the burial ground became public property. The dedication of the cemetery was performed this afternoon by the Hon. R. F. Bollard, in the presence of a representative gathering of the public, Maori war veterans, and others interested. The occasion also marked the sixtieth anniversary of the battle of Otapawa, which was fought near Hawera. While storming this Native stronghold 11 British soldiers -were killed, and buried in Ohawe. Sergeant-major Bezar, a survivor of one of the regiments, was engaged in the battle, and was present, and made a brief address. During his address, the Hon. Mr Bollard referred to the work of the Government in caring for soldiers' graves. He said it was the policy of the Massey Government to see that the last resting places of war veterans were properly looked after. He was pleased to say that that policy was carried out with even greater vigilance by the present Prime Minister. The Dominion’s expenditure on war graves abroad and in New Zeaalnd was approximately £40,000. The work was entrusted to the Department of internal Affairs, and a special branch had been established in 1921, During the past two years work

had been completed, or arranged for, in 19 cemeteries where veterans of the Maori and Boer wars were buried. The Government had taken control of the graves of those men whose deaths were considered to have been due to disabilities arising from service in the Great War, The erection of military headstones was being carried out as quickly as possible, but there had been a regrettable delay during the last 18 months, due to difficulties in obtaining raw material for the headstones. Out of a total of 209 T war graves, 911 had had headstones erected on them. The Government had undertaken to carry out the work of maintaining the graves in perpetuity of New Zealand’s soldiers who had died abroad when serving in the Expeditionary Force ha Egypt, Palestine. Gallipoli, tha Aegean Island*, Malta, Gibraltar, and the United Kinjp dom. The work had been completed on 1500 graves in France and Belgium.