WAR MEMORIALS.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170301, 21 August 1920, Page 9

WAR MEMORIALS.

Mr Craigie would have had a stronger case, though we think that it would have been a mistaken one, if he had argued in me House last night that no war fcnemorial should be erected in Wellington 'beyond a local one which its own citizens should provide. The motion which he did suggest, to reduce by half the amount of £IOO,OOO proposed for a national monument, using £50,000 of it for the subsidising of local memorials, was unfortunate in tAvo respects. If a national memorial is to be raised it should be a worthy one, and no attempt seems to have been made by the member for Timaru to show that £IOO,OOO is too much for it. At the same time the -amount of £50,000,. or even £80,000,. would go only a very little way to assist all the local memorial schemes that are being, or will be, and there is more reason for objectJug to that subsidy. Local districts would have cause for shame if they could only raise their memorials with the aid of taxation, from funds, that is, raised compulsorily for other ob* jects, as this plan -would involve. The- memorials Avould be a reproach for evermore. We have no doubt that the Temuka. district, in Avhich a. fund is now being raised, will be able to honour its dead in a proper manner without such assistance, and Ave have not lost faith in other districts where too small interest, up tilt now, has been shoAv.ll in the _ matter. . There should be a national memorial,,, and Wellington, Avhich will see it most, should make snecial contribution to it. . •