THE WAR MEMORIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16352, 15 February 1921, Page 6

THE WAR MEMORIAL.

CITY COUNCIL’S HELP. ___ A COMMITTEE APPOINTED. A request that the City Council should provide the understructuro lor a Bridge of Remembrance over the Avon, at Cashel Street, was placed before the council last evening by a large deputation, representing the executive of the War Memorial CommitteeMr A. F. Carey, chairman of the committee, said that between £14,000 and £15,000 had been collected, of ! which £6OOO was specially given for the ; bridge scheme. The committee wished tlie council to erect til© understructure, either by placing the sum necessary on j the estimates or by going straight j ahead with the work as soon as permits ! for material could be obtained. The Cashel Street bridge would hare to be rebuilt within a few years, and the committee was simply asking the council to anticipate that need by erecting a j structure worthy of tlie city, one that would be a memorial for all time to the . courage and unselfishness of their | glorious dead. Mr J. Wyn Irwin said that the I Cashel Street bridge had already sacred j associations, because of the number ci : their boys who had crossed it on the way to the front. Later on, an extensive collection campaign would be commenced, in tho suburbs, and he believed that the Joint Memorial Fund would be considerably increased. There had already been too much delay over the erection of a memorial in Christchurch, and he therefore asked that the sum necessary to build the understructure should be placed on the estimates for ; next year. Councillor C- P. Agar: Has the depu- i tation any idea of the cost of the under structure ? Mr Carey : Not the remotest idea. Councillor Agar said that the council could not give a blank cheque. He j thought tlie deputation should be pre- : pared to furnish an estimate. 'The Mayor said that in 1913 it was j estimated that to erect a ferro-concret© i bridge at Cashel Street would cost J £SOOO. The city surveyor now esti- J mated that a light structure would cost ; £IO,OOO. Councillor Agar: That is for the whole bridge. The Mayor told tho deputation that j the present council could not lay any ■ obligation on the new council, but it . could give its advice. Mr H. Holland: Make it a recomraen- j dation. Councillor Agar moved that a small sub-committee should be set up to confer with the executive of the War Memorial Committee with a view to set- i tling on designs for the Bridge of Re- j membrance, and that the council should j only pledge itself to provide the money for the understructure, provided the sanction of the ratepayers was ob- ; tained. Councillor A. Williams seconded the motion. He thought the council should raise by wav of loan the money for the erection of the understructure. Councillor D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said i that lie was in favour of erecting a me- ! raorial to their dead soldiers, but he was opposed to any memorial that would ! mean the glorification of war or of mill- ; tarism. Councillor H- T. Armstrong said that he hoped whatever was erected would be simply a memorial to the fallen dead. He supported the proposal to set up a committee, and urged that before any money was spent the council should be given the opportunity to approve of the ; design. Councillor J. O. Jameson said that he did not see how a. Bridge of Romein- ! branc© could possibly foster the spirit of militarism. At the same time, they j must remember that New Zealand was 1 an outlying part of the British Empire, and that, in the words of the old Roman adage, the best way to secure peace was io be prepared. Councillor F. R. Cooke: Thev wiped Rome out. Councillor H. Hunter said that the council was safeguarded ca long as the sub-committee had to report hack for approval. The motion wa-- carried without dissent. Councillors TV G. Sullivan. H. T. Armstrong. A. M’Kellar. J. W. Bean- ! land and C- P. Agar being appointed to 1| sub-committee. *