WAR MEMORIAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18432, 16 March 1922, Page 6

WAR MEMORIAL

MATTER IN ABEYANCE. BOROUGH COUNCIL’S DECISION AWAITED. A meeting of the Wanganui WaiMemorial was held yesterday afternoon. Present: The Mayor (Mr T. B. Williams, Messrs. A. G. Bignell, Hope Gibbons, N. Meuli, D. Mackintosh, H. W. Cooper, A. Marchant, J. H. Burnet, and J. C. Richardson. The following letter was received from Mrs M. E. Cornyns, secretary of the Central War Memorial Committee. An unanimous resolution having ben earned at the public meeting held in the Druids! Hall as to the desirability of both bodies co-operat-ing to carry out the people’s wishes as expressed at the recent poll, my committee request an interview with the Dune HIM Committea at the (earliest moment towards this end id will be happy to arrange to meet I your members at any convenient time if you will kindly give us sufficient notice. The Mayor said that he did not know whelther (they (thotught he uould make any statement at the present juncture. He had his ow: personal opinions about the matter, he Central Committee proposed to erect a tombstone; what was wanted was a memorial !n every sense of the word which would endure for all time. A plebiscite was suggested as i way to overcome the difficulty that 'arose but many people did not vote or take any part in it. The site and type of memorial had been definitely approved by all the contributing bod; les are there could be no departure' from that. Mr Hope Gibbons said that the present eommitteq, could not do anything else except what they were elected to do. He did not see any use in meting their deputation. He had prepared a letter of reply and he moved that it be forwarded to the Central Committee. It was:—

“In reply to your communication re joining with your committee, I enclose the constitution of our Committee. You will note that we have been elected to carry out specific work and therefore we ,cn.nnot acede to (yoito proposal. After the first public meeting called a full meeting was held. The Borough Council, Wanganui County Council, Gonville Town Board, Castlecfiff Town Board, Returned Soldiers' Association, Patriotic Society were all represented and unanimously agreed on design, site, and finance. The local bodies In Council confirmed the proposal, and nominated representatives to carry on. The Borough Council agreed to deviate street and become trustees for site. Arrangements were entered _:ito for the erection of the memorial and public collections were provided, you will note we have been elected to carry out specific work and therefore we cannot accede to your proposal. We have made full arrangements to proceed with the erection of the memorial but were asked by the Mayor to stay our hand. We have done so and in the event of the Borough withdrawing from its agreenent with the Association local bodies we shall have to consider our position. The district memorial will no doubt be proceeded with but possibly the withdrawal or one of the parties may interfere with the finances and thereby postpone the final finishing. In marble of some of the vork. The building of the memorial in the stone typical of the district—shell rock—will be done under the estimate of £5OOO. The' marble finish ijt, the main building may, if the money is not available at present, be carried on at a future date but our committee Is optimistic and hopes that funds will be available to finish the work by the end of the year. You will note from our estimate that we are at once with your committee' in agreeing that we do not want a £lO,OOO memorial. Re raising money by rates for the memorial, your committee do not wish to accept any such funds but you wish to occupy land that would no doubt sell for at least £2OOO. It is one of the most valuable sites in the borough, vested in the domain Board. I think you will agree that it is a very debatable point which the committee is accepting the greatest financial assistance other than voluntary. With the founty, Gonville, and Castlecliff combining our committee was bound to find a site suitable to all the contributing bodies. This has been effected and I think this last point will show how impossible it was for our committee to choose a site right in the centre of the borough which certainly could not be seen from the greater portion of the county and not at all from Gonville and Castlecliff. In the event of other local bodies altering their arrangements posibly each centre will carry out varying proposals. We are of opinion that the public would regret this when they visit other centres and note the very fine memorials that have been erected to keep green the memory of those who fell and in honour of all those who went and in commemoration of the greatest even in our nation’s history. Mr Bignell seconded the motion and said that he agreed with the sentimenits expressed. The crux of the whole question was to have a memorial for all time. It was necessary to have it on a hill and the

site 'that the committee had chosen fas the first possible. The committee was elected to do certain work and should carry it out. It was better to let it be known at once where they stood. If some estimate individuals wanted to erect something in the borough they could do so. The present committee had '.n obligation to carry out certain luties and should do so. Everything had been said £nd it was not necesary to go over the ground again. At this stage a letter was read from Mrs Bott suggesting as a compromise a site on St. znhn’s Hill. Mr Richardson asked in view of recent developments whether it was possible to have a discussion on the ground of compromise with the possibility of a St. John’s Hill site. Personally he considered Durie Hill was an ideal site, but other sites might

be more acceptable to the public. Mr Hope Gibbons said Durie Hill was chosen because it was a district site which had the approval of all the local bodies. Mr Richardson pointed out that a memorial on St. John’s Hill could be seen from the adjacent areas just as well as if it were on Durie Hill. It would be easier of access. The Mayor: I do not think so. Mr Hope Gibbons: Tommy rot! Mr A. Mackintosh said that Wanganui County had been ignored by 'the Central Committee, and it was ha-rdlv right now to ask them to support a site on St. John’s Hill. The county had given him a free hand. He was of the opinion that Durie Hill was the best site. Mr Marchant said the Gonvijle Town Board were committeed to a definite site and a memorial at Durie Hill. He did not think that St. John’s Hill compared ad it could not be seen from all parts of Gonville. Mr J. H. Burnet said the Patriotic Society were unanimous on the matter. The lift charges were so cheap tha tit would not be a tax on anybody to get up Durie Hill. Mr Hope Gibbons’ motion setting out a reply to the Central Committee was carried unanimously. The,Mayor next mentioned that a motion was to come before the Borough Council to rescind the resolution to contribute to the cost by rate if necessary. It was then decided to leave the matter in abeyance until the decision of the Borough Council is known.