The Egmont Memorial

Opunake Times, 17 December 1920, Page 3

The Egmont Memorial

ACRIMONIOUS DISCUSSION

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Egmoat County Council Cr Green said a statement had been circulated by Cr Trotter to the eftect that when a letter had come before the Council some time ago regarding the establishment of a soldiers’ memorial at Opunake, he, Cr Green, had thrown tlie letter on the table with the remark that the erection of a mem orial at' Opunake was merely an attempt to decorate the place. He wished to give the statement an emphatic denial and asked the chairman, Crs O’Brien, Wright and Watson if they bad any recollection of the incident. They stated they had not. . Cr Trotter said he desired to provide a fitting memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Egmont County and sent a letter to the chairman of the Council at its meeting in May, 1919, asking that the Council al’o.v their names to bo added to the Memorial Committee- As he was anxious to know- how the matter was dealt with he asked a councillor to let him know when the meeting concluded. This councillor had told him that when the letter reached Cr Green he tossed it on the table saying it was only an attempt to beautify Opunake. He took that as a personal insult and told Cr Green so on the first opportunity. Later, a copy of a resolution passed by the Town Board at its meeting of June 2nd, 1919, was sent to the Council asking the Council to support the. p.iojept to erect a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the county and asking that councillors allow their names to be added to the committee, :fo which the Council agreed. T Resuming, Cr Green' said Cr

Trotter had said that he had thrown the letter ou the table saying Damn Trotter and his memorial.” He wished to deny ever having said such a thing, Cr O’Brien said it'was to be regretted that such a misunderstanding had occurred. Cr Trotter had lost a son at the war, and the alleged remarks hurt him very much.. Personally he knew nothing about the matter. ’ Cr Trotter was entitled to the thanks of the community for his efforts to establish a memorial and 'dhe moved that the Council place on record its appreciation of his efforts in that direction. This was seconded by Cr Ferguson who remarked that Cr Trotter had worked with very little asssislancfrpm the Council. CiGeen intimated that he would resign unless Cr Trotter apologised for having circulated-the statement. The chairman thought that Cr Trotter’s informant should apologise and not Cr Trotter, Cr Tosland held that it was dis tinctly derogatory to the memory of the dead soldiers to squabble over a memorial. Cr Green said if the motion was carried it would look like vindicating Cr Trotter’s action. Cr Trotter said he had no inten tion of apologising to Cr Green. He had beep told by four different persons who were at the meeting that Cr Green had made the remark and he preferred to believe them before Cr Green. Cr Chapman contended that Cr Trotter should prove ths truth of his assertion and failing this he should apologise to Cr Green. The Chairman said it was not a matter for the Council to discuss but Cr Green held that as the statement was alleged to-have been, made at the Council table he wanted the Council to contradict it. The resolution was withdrawn and the matter dropped.