IN MEMORY OF FALLEN

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1930, Page 12

IN MEMORY OF FALLEN

PUNGAREHU GATES OPENED UNVEILING'BY MR. C. A. WILKINSON LARGE GATHERING. OF PUBLIC. 'That the memory of the deeds of the men who took- part in the Great ar is ever present was again strikingly in evidence yesterday by the . large and representative attendance at Pungarehu to. take part in the official opening of the soldiers’ memorial gates erected at the school. The ceremony was a simple but impressive one in keeping with the occa-. sion. A good muster of returned soldiers paraded in front of the hall under the charge of Captain F. Hartnell, New Plymouth. Headed by the Opunake Federal Band, led by Conductor Humphries, and followed by the school children in charge of their teachers, Mr. A. Roots and Miss Shaw, and a number, of motor-cars they marched to the school and paraded “in front of the gates, which were draped with the Union Jack. Proceedings opened with the National Anthem played by the band, after which Mr. E. H. Gray, chairman of the school committee, who presided, briefly Outlined the object of the gathering and expressed thanks to those who had assisted' in providing the memorial for the district. Mrs. R. Matthews, now of Opunake as a resident of Pungarehu ten years ago, initiated the movement for the erection of a memorial. She expressed her pleasure at being present at such an occasion which, after' such a lapse of years, marked the, culmination of their desires. The monument, which was worthy of the district, would always, serve as an example io both Maori and pakeha. Captain Hartnell on behalf of the men wli’o had served in the Great War expressed appreciation of the action of the district in erecting such a splendid memorial to the memory of the meh who had served their country and more particularly those who had tendered their lives for ,the cause of liberty. It certainly was a fine thing to know that their sacrifice had been appreciated.. It was at times such as this that their thoughts travelled across the gulf of years and they could see. the.countless li-tle cemeteries .where lay many of the very finest men, and those who had lived and fought with the men who had fallen coiild appreciate more than any other section of the community the memorial that had been raised in their honour. The little children present would in the course of a few years be going into the world where no doubt they would be faced with temptation at times. He would say to them, "If the time arises when you are tcriipted to do that which is mean and despicable, think of the memorial which has been raised to-day and of wliat that memorial stands for, also the flag and forbear.” ?”•’ '• * ■ i . ‘ • BOTH MAORI AND PAKEHA. • Colonel C. H. Weston thanked the residents of Pungarehu for having remembered those wlio fought in the Great War—both Maori and pakeha. They were mites, he’said, under conditions, that brought the best out of them. As men they lived and as men they died. He could not think, of any better words than those forwarded by the King to the next of kin of ..every father soldier: “He whom this scroll commemorates was numbered aniongst those who at the call of King and Country left all that was dear to them, endured hardship,,faced danger and ffinally passed out of the sight of men .by the path .of duty and self-sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live .in freedom. Let them who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten.” - ;. The Rev. Moke gave a. stirring, address in Maori, , taking as his theme ; that “Christianity makes all men brothers. Long ago, he said, the Maori fought against the pakeha But in the Boer 15 ar and in the Great War the Maori and the pakeha -liad fought shoulder to shoulder against the savage' races for the sake of Christianity. ' Mr. P. J. H. White on behalf of the Education Board said it was fitting that the . memorial should be erected at the school as. the gates were raised to the memory of the elder brothers, fathers and relatives of the boys and girls. When they, went through the gates they must feel that the memorial had been raised to neighbourliness. Every time, they went through the gates they should think with respect of the reasons that had caused the erection of the gates. The: Garland of; Flowers was played by the band. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., remarked •that the large gathering . after such a lapse of time was an eloquent tribute to what had been done by the men: during the war. He had always, contended that Britain had. no option but to enter the war. He felt that no sacrifice was too oTeat considering that the fate of the Empire was at stake. Had Britain not won through to victory New Zealand today would not have been a British country, and though times at present mignt. be hard they were incomparably better than would have been the case if New Zealand had been under the rule of any other country. Parliament had stood solidly behind the men who went to war. Parliament had faced the facts, bringing about conscription not only of men but of wealth, though the latter' was not so Widely known. He stressed the point that the British Empire - was peaceful and'did not look for war, only desiring to'be left alone,to develop peacefully. He trusted they would see no more wars. He also paid a tribute to thq members of the Maori race who had done so nobly, having served on equal terms arid done their best.- He expressed appreciation of the efforts of the residents in erecting the gates. ' THE . GATES UNVEILED. Mr Wilkinson then declared the gates open,’first unveiling the arch inched: -In memory of those who fell .1914-1918, afterwards unveiling the one inscribed: "In honour of those who served in the Great War.” , , Mr. E. H. Gray thanked all who had assisted ’ with the function, espec’ally mentioning the Opunake band and those who had come from New Plymouth The hvmn “Abide'With Me” was played by the Opunake band, after which Bandsman C. Humphries sounded ‘1 he Last Post.” The ceremony concluded with trie playing of the march "Colonel Bogey. Those present were subsequently the "iiests of the ladies of the district at afternoon tea dispensed in the supper room at the hall by a committee under the supervision of Mrs. E. H. Gray. The morial gates, which were designed by Mr. C. H. Moore, architect to the T ranaki Education Board, are of pleasing appearance, consisting of two arched "atewavs constructed of white glazed brick on either side of a main double nate. The only colour is provided by th 6 clinker brick with which the opening through each arch is surmounted. A low wall of glazed brick curving from each side of the gateway adds to the effect. One arch has been erected to the memory of the fallen soldiers and the other in honour of those who served. The work was done by Mr. A. J. Fake. Op’ l ' nake, the cost being £7B. Of this £7 10s was provided by the Education Board

and a similar amount by the Government as subsidy. The public of the district subscribed £2B and the remaining £35 was raised by the school children. The first steps in connection with the erection of the memorial were taken in October 1921.