ARNO MEMORIAL HALL.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 20 November 1920, Page 4

ARNO MEMORIAL HALL.

« • ROLL OF HONOUR UNVEILED. I Last evening upwards of 100 residents congregated in the Arno SoiI diems’ Memorial Hall,, the occasion (being the unveiling of the roll con.ain.ing- the names of those local men , who made the supreme sacrifice!, and! of those .who went land were fortunate enough to return. The roll of honou|r is a handsome, piece of work, and does credit to the maker, Mr W. J. Bitown, of Ashburton. In ttw centre of tlie ta!bnert|, which is about 24iii. wide by 36in. in length, with (a silver shield bearing the names of ! the nurse and seven local men who i laid down their lives. Grouped a- 1 roupd this ate the names of 18 who also answered the CftlL Before the unveiling a short concert w|as given by Mr Hay and party, assisted by other talent. At the close of the concert the Chairman (Mr Matheson) thanked Miss Arthur, who had 1 come all the way from Invetr,cargill in order to he present and to sing there. The items were all heartily appilau : <led, and are as follows :— Messis W. L. Hay and E. Tnalvers, duet, ‘The Battle Evei, ” encore “Tell 'her I fovfe her so” ; Miss Arthur, sOr io. “Angus encore “She is far from the Land”; Mr J. Borthwick, “The, Deathless, Army,” encore “Friend o' Mine”-; Miss Alice Meredith, recitation; Mr W« L. Hay, solo, “The Sailor’s Grave”; eucoie; “Tihe, Mtastrel Boy”; Messrs Hay and Ti-aVers, duetj, “Waichnuui; what or the Nfehit” by special request. The acecmpanimients for the finst thi-ee items were played biy Mr Hay, for his own sate by Miss Marjory Menzies, and lor tlie last item by Mr Hay, The Chairman thanked Mr Hay and party for earning put to assist them with the concert. THE UNVEILING, The Chairman said that tee occasion of the meeting was toi unveil the I roil of honpuf with tlie names oi the btoys who had died and of tlipse wno had gone with them. Fit.eea . months ago tlie commfe,tee wias oom- I plimeqted on their sqcdUss in etrecising' ia liall, an J they were urged not to rest, until the work was-com- I , pieted by a roll of honour. After ' waiting till the neightlouiing' dis- | ti-icts had unveiled their memorials, they finally chose the lest tlipy j could think of, blearing in mind the I rolls which they had already seen. At the oufcliuak of war many of their toys went], and sooner o. ’la.er -others followed. The residents admired those who had gone to light for their King' and Country, and so When the war was over they err acted this memorial had, and now they were t'heie fo unveil the roll of honofur. On a silver shield were the nameis of those who would never return, and he wished to .lender i his aincere sympathy io the relatives He would ask them to s.and while the roll was unveiled. | The Union Jack was duly pulled away, the audience standing: in silence the while.. Mr J. Bitchieuer M.P„ said that he wished fo thank them for the honour they had done him in asking him fo speak at this function. He liad thought that he would have a slight rest from his public aciivitr iee, 'bint he could not refuse in a matter like this. He was not exactly a stwger in -the dtstrion, and he could remember being l a lesidient of Arno when there were only a couple of other housesi besides his little “isixf-by-eighi” , (Laughter). Some time ago he wfant to a sitai- ■ lar function in Central Otago, and he , thought tow unprepared he was to speak! at that time. He would later Head a poem composed by a man at the Central Ot a go unveilb ing' referred to. He wished to congranulate the Chairman on his opening' addneissk Mr Matheson hud (made a very neat little speech. The boys who went to war -took their lives in their hands, and they also ;took with them our prayers. K was laid down thail some of them should not return, but their action has given up freedom from the menace of a powerful foe. “We who remain sit at this moment with bowed 'heads in honour of the dead' whose names are inscribed on this shield.” While vae War was on they had often wondered whose toy was paying tlie price for their personal freedom, , “The memory of those who paid tire . 'price will liVe long after we are dead I .”' He. read the vepsejs heliad referred to. Mr W. O’Connor,, on behalf of the returned soldiensi, said he wishes' to express appreciation of the way in which Arno had honoured the names of the dead’ and the living Arno <lid a big thing in erecting a hall like this as a memorial. They had now completed- Ihe woe-k. Those jvho, died made the noblest sacrifice .iuerie was'. dying that others might live. In his experience he found thatj the men thought meet of the army ol helpers at hornQ and he was

i sure, that no country’s troops had i bleen so well supplied- with comforts etc. as the New Zealandens had tieen. (Applause). It was only to to 1 expected that th© apiffe of the old pioaeera of' New Zealand should come ou tin .their descendant. He held no Hiief for War as a pastime among nations. It was an awful , t|ii|sinesq, and he thought that apy big nation that wilfully caused another tig l nation to go to War should tie trimmed up. He pfaid! a triifaute t 0 the mo.here of New Zealand;, who lin’d' done more than they would evH er know l to help to -win the war. I(A pfCause). . . | A very enjoyable supper waspar- ! taken olj, and the- committee's tliajiks i are due to Mr W l . G. Russel>„ who ! supplied the refroshulemts fiee of charge. . [ i