WAR MEMORIAL

Patea Mail, Volume XLIII, 10 March 1919, Page 2

WAR MEMORIAL

AN EXCELLENT SCHEME

An excellent scheme for a war memorial for Patea and district has been prepared by Mr R. S. Thompson, C.E.fand will, in due course, be laid before the public at the meeting to be called shortly" to consider the War Memorial question. Briefly the scheme is to form a new road to the sea from the town, and to provide an obelisk, a memorial gateway and a children’s play-ground, at a cost of about £ISOO, The present road to the beach from the Post Office, it is pointed out, is just 120 chains, whilst by the proposed new road the beach would be brought within 70 chains or 8 chains less than the distance from the Post Office to the railway station. The new road, which it is suggested be called Anzac Avenue, would branch off from Egmont, Street by the ' road at present fenced in adjoining Mr E.* : 0. Wood’s residence. After skirting the portion of Middlesex Street at present fenced, the road would proceed in a slanting "direction to the cliff, down which it is proposed to form a track six feet wide, at a cost of £2OO. This would bring the beach within ten minutes walk of the centre of the town, and it is claimed would ultimately result in the town becoming a seaside resort somewhat similar to what New Plymouth is at the present time. The road would traverse Domain property for the greater portion of the way. The last few yards would necessitate the acquisition of about 1)4, acres of land from the Harbour Board to enable the road to reach the sea. Trees would, of course, be planted on each side of the Avenue, and the road itself would be formed and gravelled the whole length.

At the entrance could be erected an ornamental gateway, which, with the obelisk, could be utilised as a special memorial on which the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice, from this district, can be inscribed. In the present Domain, adjoining the lake, it is proposed to form a children’s play-ground on lines similar to Myers Park at Auckland, at a cost of about £250, which would make the Domain attractive for both young and old ‘ alike. A special feature of the scheme is the fact that the whole work, if decided upon could be carried out and completed within three months. The land is practically dead level and with the aid of a couple uf the County Council’s graders, the formation of the Avenue, some 38 chains, could be carried out in a few days. The gravel for the metalling is on the spot and could be put on the road at a nominal cost. Another good feature of the scheme is that the proposed avenue would assist to open up the Municipal Reserve adjoining the Church of England, and put additional value on the excellent building sites now on offer. Should the scheme be adopted and carried out, as time went by, further extensions could be carried out, for example the strip of Crown waste land adjoining the sea front along the cliff northwards could, no doubt, be obtained for the asking, and formed into an esplanade and connected with, say, Victoria Street, thus affording another route to the sea —besides a round-trip drive. The whole work wlien carried out, it is claimed, would help to popularise the town as a sea-side resort, as access to the sea could be obtained by less than 15 minutes walk from the Post Office, or in about three minutes by car, Each year the locality could be improved by planting more and more trees on the seaward side, which would help to turn what at present appears very much like a barren waste into a beauty spot. The whole is well worth considering by the people of the town and district, as besides possessing the merit of being, well within the bounds of possibility from a financial standpoint for if the people between the Manawapou and the Whenuakura rivers cannot raise £ISOO towards a lasting memorial to their sons who have gone forward and done so much for them and their country it a poor look out for any it has the additional being able to be carried out in a matter of weeks and not years. The whole scheme is essentially a-practical one and Is therefore worthy of every attention at the hands of the public. The following is a summary of the scheme: —•

DISTANCES. Post Office, to Heads..,l2o chains Post Office to RailwayStation 78 „ Post Office to Beach via proposed avenue ... 70 „ ESTIMATED COST. £ Children's Play-ground... ... 250 Forming and gravelling avenue 16 ft wide ... ... ... 400 Track 6 ft wide from cliff to beach, including hand rail 200 Obelisk 400 Gateway 25 Plantation along avenue ...100 Fencing ... 100 Contingencies ... ~, 35 Total £ISOO qhuroh services The interruption of sermons by incessant cougbing and clearing of throats, is readily obviated by gargling soothing "Flows J' before ohurch. ~ ' ...•">