THE WAR MEMORIAL.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1280, 12 August 1922, Page 4

THE WAR MEMORIAL.

SUBSCRIBERS’ FINAL SELECTION.

UNVEILING NEXT ANZAC DAY.

There was a very fair attendance of subscribers to the Te Awamutu and district war memorial fund at a meeting On Thursday evening to finally select designs for the memorial. The attendance,particularly considering the state of the weather, was very good, and indicated the interest taken in the proposal. This should be the final public meeting in this connection,-ex-cept it happen that when the memorial is erected the public are called upon to consider the form the unveiling ceremony is to take. In opening the meeting, the chairman (Mr H. Y. Collins) said that a dozen designs had been received by the committee, which had left the final selection to the public out of three which had been set on one side. Taking the designs as a class, if the whole twelve were considered it would come to a choice between two groups—they were all more or less of two distinct classes—so that final selcetion was difficult, being entirely a matter of opinion or fancy. The three designs from which selection had to be made were, • in the opinion of the committee, best suited to local requirements. Mr A. E. Patterson (secretary), in commenting on the specifications sent, explained in, detail the three designs. To Mr Empson, the chairman" considered it possible that the public meeting would have freedom to reasonably vary the wording on the .memorial. . To Mr Armstrong, t'he chairman said one of the designs had actually been erected near Sydney, and the other two were originals. The secretary added thfPt he had been informed that no memorial so far erected between Auckland and Taumarunui had the figure of a soldier. In any case the conditions under ■- which designs had been submitted laid it down that any selected design was to be the property of the Te Awamutu War Memorial Committee.

The chairman explained that all the designs were for a memorial to cost S6OO. In regard to the lettering for soldiers’ names, this would be treated a,s an extra, the lettering costing from T2s to 20s per dozen ciphers. It was thought by the meeting that the cost of lettering should not influence the selection.

-Before proceeding with the vote the question of voting by proxy was raised, and there was some discussion on matters: of precedence. Finally it was decided not to admit proxy votes.

The ' design was then selected by ballot, and on the voices the figure of a soldier was selected from several designs submitted. The inscription on the memorial was decided to be: “In memory of those who fell in the Great War, 1014-1918.” There was some discussion as to whether or not a suitable motto should be added, together with, the names of the theatres of war in which New Zealand soldiers had fought, but these proposals were rejected.

A committee, consisting of (Messrs Collins, Armstrong, Coyne, and Patterson, was appointed to conclude negotiations with the contractors whose design had been selected. The secretary stated that to place the memorial on the site chosen, without encrcoaehing on the road, it would be necessary to remove the front of the old mart buildings. He asked the meeting to discuss the advisability of making representation to the Borough Council to remove a of the building. The chairman thought this a matter of detail which would be dealt with by the committee when the actual work was undertaken.—Consideration was therefore deferred.

The Mayor .put forward the suggestion that the committee should proceed at once to arrange the unveiling ceremony, and this was agreed to. All other details were referred to the committee. ■ -