"UNKNOWN WARRIORS"!

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22487, 4 February 1935, Page 10

"UNKNOWN WARRIORS"!

TO the editor Sib, —Permit me to extend my congratulations to his Worship the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) upon his remarkable vision and remarkable aptitude for striking the right note at the right time. For instance, who could have made a finer gesture than he at his welcome this week to the- delegates to the Grocers' Conference? The grocer, he said, should be exalted for the good work he does on earth. He should have a statue erected to him to show forth his good deeds amongst men. Pioneers, warriors, poets, and statesmen had statues erected in their honour in the public squares of the cities of the world—so said Mr Coxwhy not a statue to "a" grocer—not " the " grocer, as Mr Cox was careful to explain—on the same lines as the eternal memorial for the - Unknown Warrior? Yes, why not? They could, to meet the position, be called "battlers." and why not statues for "A" butcher, "A" baker, and "A" candlestick maker? It would be easy to embody in the statues something relating to the daily life of "A" butcher, or "A" baker, or "A" candlestiqk maker/Moreover, there are many other vocations that could be similarly honoured —vocations followed both in the daytime and at night, by "ladies with the lamp" and men similarly assisted. There is no. limit to those who might be exalted before men. By why, Sir, should our statues be erected to commemorate' famous men only? I would suggest—and I imagine Mr Cox will,agree with me—that statues should also be erected to infamous men, so that their bad deeds—or the memory of them —would be for ever before us, and thus we could execrate them daily. In this connection I would respectfully submit that statues should be erected to Mr R. S. Black and Mr Frank Mitchell. When he was standing for the mayoralty, Mr Cox said that both these well-known citizens of Dunedin had "desolated" and " degraded" the city. He it was who was to be the " good shepherd " and who was, like a modern Moses, to lead the unemployed out of the wilderness. And the unemployed—they must blush now — believed him. Presumably, they have reached their promised land, as Mr Cox, who. I understand, is spending a holiday at Karitanc, did not apparently think it worth while to spare the time to come to Dunedin to speak on their behalf at the deputation which waited on Mr Bromley, of the Unemployment Board. Mr Cox is never stumped, never cornered, never embarrassed. In the words of the old song he believes in " the smile, smile, smile"' attitude, no matter what the occasion may be and no matter how upset most people would be if they found themselves in a difficulty at which Mr Cox would simply smile. I am afraid that Mr Cox will really have to smile on the other side of his face when the election results are announced in May next. The Dunedin citizen is placed, to my mind, in a very serious danger. Mr Cox has definitely stated that he is in favour of State aid to Catholic schools. Mr Marlow, another candidate, is no doubt in favour of the same thing. If this aid

were ever introduced —impossible <&s,. it! may seem —we would see sectarian schools, springing up all over the place, and inculcating a spirit of envy, hatred, and malice in the minds of the young, instead of the spirit of Christ. I was rather struck on reading the other day of the motto of the famous Dublin Fusiliers, soldiers who have played their part on many a bloodstained battlefield. The motto of the "Old Toughs" may be made particularly applicable to the record of Mr Cox as Mayor of the city. It means " Let us .be judged by our actions." It is a worthy motto for. a great regiment, and I take the liberty of emphasising my point by using it as my nom de plume.—l am, etc., Speotamuk Agendo.