PARK MEMORIAL GATES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16661, 17 February 1922, Page 4

PARK MEMORIAL GATES.

collecting funds. A meeting of delegates from athletic sports bodies was held last night to consider further a. proposal to erect memorial gates at Lancaster Park _ n honour of fallen athletes. Air C. SThomas presided over an attendance oi about thirty-five, delegates. The chairman said that the commercial travellers, headed by Mr 11. B. Gould, when they decided to rave Lancaster Park in order to have it as a memorial to men who had fallen in tho war, sot aside £IOOO tor memorial gates. Since then, prices had gone up, and an amended estimate of the cost of completing the gates was now £ISOO. The sum oi about £llOO was in hand. Tho running clubs agreed to find £6OO, but other bodies also had come into the scheme. He had no doubt whatever about the result ot the campaign. The extra money required, £SOO or £6OO, would be found quick and lively.

Air Gould, who was appointed secretary, said he had been informed by Mr J. S. Guthrie, architect, that it would not be feasible to have marble or granite on the concrete but the finishing could be made attractive. Air AI. Guthrie said that the finishing could l>c done in white Portland cement, which had a permanent white finish. Air Gould said that October, just after the football season, and before big cricket matches came along, would be a good time to begin the gates. The commercial travellers and the Lancaster Park Control Board had approved of plans. As only about £6OO was required he had had 1000 collecting cards printed and he suggested that they should be issued and b© returned within a month, every man wno took one to pledge himself for at least £l. AJr B. J. AUKcnna (St Patrick’s Sports Association) said that the scheme had the hearty co-operation of his organisation, which •would work hard for it. Tn reply to a. question by a bowling delegate, the chairman said that it remained for the Board of Control to say whether the park could be used by all bodies that contributed to the fund. The present movement had nothing to do with that aspect of the question. The idea was to erect gates in honour of all athletes who had fallen in the war, irrespective of different branches of sport. The gates, in fact, would take the place of an obelisk. Air F. AY. Johnston said that Lancaster Park .was a fitting place foi a general memorial. He supported the chairman’s ro nia rk s.

Air Gould said that in the work of erecting the gates, if the money was obtained, the Board of Control would give every consideration to every branch of sport, and would do its best to see that no branch was interfered with Tenders could be called for in Ai*j ;ust, after consultation with the Rugby Union. Mr F. I>. Sargent said that the gates should be erected as soon as possible after the money was collected. A motion, moved by the chairman, and seconded by Air Al’Kenna, that Air Gould’s scheme to collect the money should be approved, was carried . Iwo delegates said that they were doubtful whether tho Board of Control was- the proper body to spend money raised by athletic organisations. Air A. E. Hooper (Rugby League) raised the question of sports bodies that would be allowed to use the park. Air !■’. AY. Johnston, who had taken the chair in Air Thomas’s absence, said that it was not a question of what branch of sport the fallen men followed. The gates would be a memorial + o •ill sports soldiers in the Dominion, no matter what game they played or what religion they professed or whether they professed no religion at all. None ot these questions should be raised thero. Tf any- men felt that they should not subscribe, the promoters would be better without them. Air Hooper said t7i«t ho had not brought league players into tho discussion. but merely put an open question. The following committee was elected to help Air Gould:- Alessrs C. - e . Thomas. D. E. AYood. B. J. Al’Kenna, C. H. Taylor. J. R. Brown. J. O. Al’Gillivray, J. AY. Flewellon and AY. L. King.