WAR MEMORIAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 3, 4 September 1945, Page 5

WAR MEMORIAL

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SUGGESTIONS

SUB-COMMITTEE SET UP

Mr A. J. Canning introduced the question of a suitable War Memorial for .town • and district at the meeting of the Whakatane Chamber ol' Commerce last Thursday urging that the matter should be considered at this juncture in order that the widest expression of opinion should be made possible and a popular choice arrived at.

I Mr C. Kingslcy-Smith mentioned the fact that cairns of stones and monuments were outdated and that most people recognised the need for memorials of a - utility value which would in rendering a public .service be at the same time a constant reminder of those who had served their country and particularly Ihose who had made the supreme sacrifice. He suggested the erection of a memorial hall to meet the desperate need of the town and visualised a central building of impressive architecture with a memorial vestibule. The hall itself could become a community centre, with sub-meet-ing rooms all situated around a commodious central hall. These

meeting rooms would in their turn become the properties of those numerous local institutions which are at the present time clamouring for accommodation and are at the same •3 time building up funds for erecting their own individual halls. By pooling all their combined funds and merging the whole scheme into a district war memorial not only would a long-felt need be met but also a memorial of striking proportions would be creatcd.

Mr Dillicar strongly opposed anything which made a public utility. Such an attitude was he considered merely and he would only support a gesture or a memorial which would be of service and benefit to those men who had served overseas or their dependants. He mentioned the possibility of men 'cracking up' in later years, and urged that a proper memorial was the establishment of a fund to assist such men in their hour of need —special allowances specialist treatment, or assistance, for their child-

renHe was supported by Mr Green in his contention. Mr Good pointed out that the Whakatane Patriotic Zone Committee had already created a fund of £10 000 for the welfare, of returning men in the. years to come, and that in this respect they would probably be well catered for.

The chahfc,an Mr H. considered that other organisations were carrying out the work of caring for the returning men in a way that had not been attempted before. He mentioned the possibilities of working in with the Women's organisations and providing a 'creche,'

Mr G. F. Thomas stated that he had already made considerable progress with the establishment of a Children's camp at which bo considered, could not be fettered as a War Memorial. He had already received the greatest encouragement from the Minister of Internal Affairs with regard to the prqject and he visualised a modern permanent camp which would provide seaside holidays for children from all parts who in the ordinary course of events would not be able to take thesn.

A committee comprising M- ssrs E. R. Dillicar H. Jordan and C

Kingsley-Smith was- set up for the purpose of conferring with Mr Thomas and going further into the. question of a suitable War Memorial.