CENTENNIAL MEMORIALS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 180, 31 July 1936, Page 8

CENTENNIAL MEMORIALS

■ KAURI PARKS SUGGESTED (By Leo Fanning). I “Save us all from stodge,” a friend [ said the other day during a chat on centennial memorials. “Don’t have trousered statues. Remember the fate of John Ballance.” This remark referred, of course, to a sculptor’s accurate copying of a photograph of the distinguished Premier who prepared the way for Richard Seddon. The queer result stands to-day in white Carrara marble in Parliament grounds—a statesman in baggy trousers, with legs slightly bowed. John ; Ballance was worthy of an inspiring ’ monument, but the sculptor produced ’ something rather comic and a little ' pathetic. Away, then, with trousers L | in marble or bronze, in any projects ’ for centennial memorials dedicated to 1 I pioneers or others whose service 1o ~ J the State deserves to live in the minds s [ of posterity. Punch frequently has J I jests about London statues —and it Is • | well known that “Mr Punch” usually I has good reason for his gibes. r ’ Guiding Principles l j Now is the time for leading men i and women in all districts to plan , centennial memorials. No doubt, i many notions will be submitted in i each locality, but it should not be dif- ? ficult to make a satisfactory selec- ? tion. Here is the test: “Will the mei morial be inspirational in the view of ? local folk as well as visitors from - other parts of New Zealand and coun- ■ tries overseas? Will it create an im- - pression that the plannersYboked forward as well as backward? Will it help in making a national sense or I country? Will the memorial be reigarded as a real asset of the district? A South African's Ideal a j Some years ago a very wealthy South African, in a tour of New Zealand, saw some of the noblest kauris o in a park of North Auckland (Kauri- “ land). When he was fold that the giants were standing in their place f when William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, his soul was deeply , stirred. He had a vision of a memorial for himself in South Africa, = a living monument of kauri trees, a woodland which would bear his name . and grow in strength and beauty centuries after his return to dust. - 5 Here is a thought for the folk of Kauriland. What could they plan s better than a centennial park of e kauri? Individual trees or groves could be named after men and wo- - men deemed worthy of this distinction. f ’ Cult of Beauty j I I In some districts there is scenery j to be saved; in others, scenery to be □ made. Why not have a centennial j drive for scenery which can be prolitt able as well as beautiful? Consider, f for example, the case of Taranaki, / where the people are at last bestire ring themselves seriously about safeguarding Egmont’s green mantle of ? native forest, on which the welfare e of the province is dependent. Tarat naki could not have a better centen- - nial celebration than the making and i working of a definite policy for Mount Egmont-r-a great campaign i which would culminate in the pagct antry of 1940—the raising of a proi vincial fund which, with a reasonable r State subsidy, would be an adequate s insurance scheme for the splendid woodlands. Similarly, folk of Wanganui City | and district could plan something for their famous river. A public-spirited board is striving to make amends for deplorable blunders of the past—the stupid slaughter of forest on some steep parts of the watershed. The board would like more money to extend its activities. Well, is there not good scope here for a centennial t scheme? Has New Zealand a district ■ where public-spirited people lack scope for the saving or making of 1 scenery? Of course, in some cases, • the objectives may be good roads—f “Centennial Ways”—to places of 1 natural beauty now difficult to reach. Perhaps, here and there, a play- • ground for children may be a suitable centennial memorial. 1 Need for Speed ) The year 1940 may seem remote to ] the average man or woman, but actuj ally the interval is not too long for > the planning and working of a suit- » able scheme. It is usually a long time from the days when various sugges1 tions are offered until one is finally ■ chosen and arrangements are made for effective action. Think of the

committee stages—the deferring of decisions from one meeting to another, on and on. In many cases committees have proved cumbersome and slow until the time factor has forced the pace. “Committees are the invention of the devil” i" a saying attributed to General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. One hopes that the phrase “Coma of Committees” will not apply to centennial committees whose duties should inspire them to be models of initiative and energv.