Fallen Troopers' Memorial

Southland Times, Issue 18056, 28 January 1903, Page 2

Fallen Troopers' Memorial

A meeting «of .the Fallen Troopers* Memorial League was- be]d In the r^orough Council Chambers on Tuesday ; Evening* The Mayor (Mr C. S. Longflet) fjpredded, others present being Messrs" Jjti^ Jobhsbn, R. J. Gilmour, J:. Crosby-Smith, R. , Day. W. A. Ott, J. G oldie; R. Allen; H. McLean, J. Hatch,- H. Ashiey, R. Churton. and Lieut.-Coloriel Hawkins. An apology was received from Mr I. W. Raymond. . The Chairman repretted the '.small at-: tendance. Their business was first to decide, finally if pogsiMe.ros to -;which of. the designs they would adopt, and to allot prizes ; to: those 'considered the -best'. When this was done they/ could consider , what steps were! to ~\ be 'i-'.. "tak&ii t&L raise the necessary.' funds. v Jlr v Yoang, who . had undertaken the' wprki of treaWrer and secretary, would- not be present,-and had made a request .that someone be ap-pointed-to fill the positions, as he could not undertake the work on account: of - his other, duties.— Mr 11. Day was elected honorary secretary, and (ii accepting the position said that he -would: -not -have taken it unless it had been made hon-

orary. -- } ' "^; : r\'\^)^y;'-C:' ■". . y . , Mr JJewtbn "'"■yanSayv'tlie/jifiJ.wer. of ..the' design preferred by the League at their last meeting, .vfomanied '''.''specifications.: for the purpq^.l of o' making estimates, etc. In the caseWof" the design being chosen he was prepared: to prepare com- 1 plete specifications/ under the direction of Messrs Lawson ,' and ;' Salinond, who would personally siiperiiiteiui ' the. erection. The specifications give, a detailed statement of the Work and material "to be used Jarth© structure. The surround-

ing steps\ wsre to H b« .Port - Clialmera

stone. Provision. . was „ .Taaj&ei '; for... granite, marble, cast iron, painarti , stone work,-, and the . introduction: of "'water arid gas supplies. ;..■■■ < .-.'.■:. - : .. ■„.'■■•■■

Me Hatch snoke strongly against the Use of Oamaru or Port .Chalmers stone in any portion-of- the memorial. Oamaru stone turned perfectly green after being subjected .to ■ exposure, . and. , Port Chalmers stone, -was a.- very^inferioc : ;-wma.teri&l that should not be use^, in. ciny. .permanent monument, ite ,sugge^s ' ; ;tSftt a coniuiittfee should be ' )app^inted^o^<iiscuss, each item of the" specjfic^tipns^ftnd see where .alterations could^ be* niade 'to **« make the monument: more lasting and generally beneficial, and: also V to -secure expert opinion on different materiala.

The Chairman said that no conanittee had yet been appointed, but it had been nrevjously decideii that when a design was finally seleit«^"> ; gxpjert . knowledge would be brought to bear; on it-~as to the' proper rarchitectutai^deslign employed and : lhe' materials used.. >;.- ; ■

Mr Crosby-Smith said that Castle -rock stone 'and Bluff granite wbultf lie' Very superior to Oamaru and Port Chalmers sto.iie, an"d ho doubt Mr s Vanes ; could substitute them jn his designu iko mbred that Mr Vanes' be accepted," and *Jhttt he be awarded "the -first prize..~.Mr ■fohnson seconded the 'Motion.^ •He said -that %the iswccessfiu y-^igwer might not be able > to su^stttuiii^tiie atones suggested by Mr Smith' aj»a still remain within ih4 > X2OOOV limits A :con> mittee should te ,a)mqiiited ttQ-commuiU' cate with him; enquire into^lfese^^cftails, and get advice f rom compeffetot^ bM^r?. -Mr Crosby-Sinittt sifd : CftStlWO^ff^KKi Oamaru stone % were. theT same^ pric^ in tnvercargill. . Castlerocfc>,was much hard- 1 «r, but w^ easily Johnson poinfcft|smiib ■ that l>y ' wtopting Mr Vhhes^ a^^l^the League^ did' not bind thero'splyes' to T go ; on with th^pki^ Mcuiap niemorial. They/ would h^yW to ("also the money before they could talao che respoilsibility on : tiieir shouldera;^The motion was carried . unanimbusily.:;; :Goldie moved., with a; A-iew of liaving his previous suggestion: carried but, that the Mayor, : Messrs Ashley^ Bam. " Crosbje-Smith, aivd Hatch be/jappointed a to .examine -the specifications And com muuicatel with; Mr^anes-reisug^ gested; i :alterat!ons.;---Carried. "• :: :

The second prtsie' for^design; w;as iviyafded tO; Messrs MaclrenzieJa^^lsov^ vercargill, :tlje tijtio of .their .drawing being; •■• Pro Katriav* "i'hW cnairmah wag authorised to Visend the others back to ' the coiiipetitors." . ; '

The Chairman asked what steps were proposed^ towards the collection of subscriptions ? It was time that -they got to work in that direction.— Mr Ott moved that the secretary- prepare subscription" lists. It had I>een left in abeyance long enough, and it was/ time tiiey made an effoirt. to isecupe soiuethittg /apart from what they would probably 'receive froiu the <^.-PaJ.r_iot'ic-/-TunU.^e^M6S;';-J»y Mr Johnson /and/ carried^ v / A

Lieut. r Ooloaei. Hawkini3.;Buggeate<iv that '♦ "; :^ i ?^:j. B *:?^ \-oi( : connectibh. with the wat- ■would; make lan- "appropriate i lieadiHjjvifir ujthe list, :' arid wouUl.brlhjlj the^ 9ul>ieu« ireslily iH-Mrethe minds of tpeijubiic.^r; Gbldie supPpttecl tlii^v aridi on his Jinntiott ' Lieut;Colonel Hawki ns/Ayas requested ' to. '&&• rist^the >e?retary lir tli6 /preparation of a suUdble hiading. \- / ;■ :

Mry Johnson said; that there was /an impression/about t»>at there wus ainjrfe^ moiiey jii ■ various funds; coiihected ; with *' troopers, 'anUtlmt ver^ 1 little ; ;;Was ; Required ffo x this ineinorlaCnhtil.ti|ttt impression was put oh one Hiflfclhe-col-lectors would not nave' much v - success :wi th ". ' t heir suijscriptioii ..■.:} \ «t s. / /^The chairman jnight ■''caH- i -ay.v'.mtoti»ig-';;bif|hl|.;': dinere'n t committees ;ajnd as(sert«Jn 1 : how matters stood; ; .! . " V; ; " r '

The chairman stated : that the Patrio* tic 'Fund Committee .would - meet > next Tuesday. This njeotirigl could fqrward

an appl ica tion > for a . donation, a nd ■ :/ it \i ; 6uUi be ' pousirtered.— Mess ts Hatch and pit pioyed --acc)>rdinßiy',.i'ttn^^h.d>ccreta]iy was instructed; to make the application.'

Sir C^qsb^-Sinlth : thought that /the League should request; Mr' Varies To draw

the memorial on a larger scaled than f,tlio 6neiio\y '.exhibited, so. (t «yHUi be fliXh}bHe(l; and photographs of it circulated ;— Mr Hatch recommended leaving wrh

work to the committee already x.ppoint* N ed> and this was agreed to. It was intiniatcd that there was £74 14s 5d lying £0 the credit of the league,

A finance committee to -appointed. pdn. pMtoepf Vw JJayor.' Messrs/ Olt,'7Jftt«Ji<

Churton, Raymond, Gilmour, and Hammond, with power to add to the number ; three members will form a quorum, and reports to be made to monthly meetings of the League.

Mr Gilmour asked the. Mayor If it had been decided precisely what form t.ho memorial was to take — whether Jt was a memorial to fallen soldiers, or to all those who had been on active -service, or a joint monument to both Lhese objects, and to be a historical memonto of the part Southland took in the war T He knew from, private information that there was some feeling in fne country districts on this matter, especially where committees had been formed and where some considerable sums were in hand to be forwarded when a definite decision was arrived at. The feeling was that the memorial should be a fallen troopers' < memorial, and it should now be distinctly settled whether this was to be so or not.

3lr G oldie said that he was always under the impression that it was to be a fallen troopers' memorial. The chairman' read the resolutions passed ,&t-{;he- previous meetings. At the inaugural -iheetiugv it was resolved to formofraTSbttthland Fallen Soldiers' League with a view of commemorating those who lost -their lives in the South African war. An apparently contradictory resolution was carried at a later meeting when considering the question of a memorial ': that, provision be ciade on the memorial . to record the names of all who went from Southland to the war, say about 200. From these resolutions ■lie i concluded that the£pbint was still un. decideS.} " ■

JffrvH. McLean ridiculed the Mea of putting all the names on the Memorial. He believed the resolution was cnly carried in fu».

The chairman said that the notion

received serious consideration, and

was

largely supported, though now no doubt ' a number had changed their opinion about' the advisableness of carrying out that portion. ; He had then s-ipported it, but was now indinea to voteagainst it. ' .-■ . •-■. :••.■ ' ;-"' Mr Gilmour said that he was ct first inclined to, favour the idea' that the monument should be. something broader than a memorial to; ithoseAvlio' had lost : sheir lives, but it wias iow : plain tnat nothing else would meet public support. He^ ifioved '":^^ "That the memorial be a memorial ?tb the Southland trooper9 f ivho fell in South Africa, or died in consequSnceofthe rifeours of the South African war." Mr jfohnson seconded, this, and _ it ■was carried unanimously .Tr-Mr Churton said that,; at previous, meetings \ic had Bpoice strongly In favour of the broader , view ot the purpose of xhe memo^iai^but fn^i deference to , Mr : Gilmbur's remarks on the feeling in the count-ryr lie woulda withdraw his opposition. . /'. .■"'■' , The closed with a vote oi tfcanks to" the chair. |