WAR MEMORIAL.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16415, 8 January 1919, Page 9

WAR MEMORIAL.

RETURNED SOLDIERS SELECT A SITE. PITBLIC AITEAL DECIDED UPON. The McturnoJ Soldiers' Association Building Campaign Committee met in the So'.dicis' Clubroom last night to consider the question of the selection of a site for the proposed Soldiers' Club and Memorial Hall. There was a very largo attendance, which included the Mayor (Mr H. Holland), Town Clerk (Mr Jl. H. .Smith), Colone] G. J. oniith, Mr W. 11. Skinner (Philosophical Institute), and a number of prominent citizens Mr O. T. J. Alpers, chairman of the committee, preside.!. In opening the meeting, Mr Alpers stated that the sub-committee set up for the purpose had inspected the several sites, and had decided t» recommend that offered by the Hon. C. Lonisson. It adjoined a site already owned bv th" Association, and would ■'ivc ample room for the club buildin"* and leave liali" an acre for the memorial hall. There would be a frontage to Gloucester street of lont, with a depth ol two and a half chains on the whole front, and fivo chains for half its length. The site included Mr Louisson's house and certain fixtures, . and 'furnishings. The building would I prove verv suitable for a soldiers' club for vears'to come, and a billiard room and*social hall could be crectcd, with ample room left for the erection of the memorial hall-a . hall of memories, which would contain tho war records of the soldiers. At the present time when the question of a war memorial was being so freely discussed and many citizens were coming forward with idoas, it was necessary that there should be no confusion as between the soldiers effort for club rooms and a memorial hall for their own use, and the war memorial proper, which was tfie people's recognition or the sodieis work as a whole and on beha of thoso who Tifl.cl uicd. in. i the groat struggle. The proposal | before the meeting was a soldiers peace i memorial. (Hear, hear.) The did not desire to dictate what form anj | other memorial should take. All they asked was that they should have given to them a "hall of inomories, ' a name j that conveyed its own meaning. The sum authorised as necessary, £*0,000, was a comparatively small amount. It was to their infinite credit that tho soldiors* first thought should take the form of a memorial to their dead comrades. In no sense were the soldiers competing with- the people's war ine"jlr C. E. Jones, of Jones, McCrostie, Co., Ltd., stated that lio and Mr Albert Freeman had valued the property separately. and on comparing notes it was found that there was a difference of only £250 in their valuation. He recommended the purchase of the site offered by the Hon. C. Louisson. Colonel G. J. Smith moved that tho Executive Committee should bo empowered to offer the Hon. C. Louisson £4000 for the proportv. The motion was seconded by Air A. S. Clarkson, supportod by the Mayor and other speakers, and was carried unanimously. „ _ ~ _ It was agreed that Mr C. E. Jones should be added to tho Executive Committee. The question of a public appeal was considered at some length. Mr A. F. Carey suggested an appeal on the lines of tho Red Triangle. He had every confidence in the public fully supporting the soldiers and giving them whatever they wanted. (Hear, near.) Mr P. Selig, in supporting Mr Carey's suggestion, said he trusted that tho public would realise that the appeal was being made by the soldiers who .had fought for them, and would not confuse it with Canterbury's war memorial cf-. fort. Tho impression had somehow, got about that the two were one and the . stfme. That was a mistake, or misunderstanding, and should be put right. After further discussion the chairman intimated that the executive would go into the question of the appeal and report to tho Building Campaign Committee at a meeting to be held on Thursday. It was decided that Mr N. B. McCallum (president of tho Association) should confer with Mr J. S. Guthrie in regard to alterations to the new club rooms, and as to additional buildings. The Mayor enquired whether £20,000 would be sufficient for all requirements. Mr Guthrie stated that that would depend upon what form of structure the memorial hall took. He had prepared a rough plan showing that a good building could be put up for £16,000. Mr A. F. Carey thought £25,000 would be required. It was decided to set up a subcommittee, consisting of the chairman (Air Alpers), the Mayor (Mr Holland), the president of the Returned Soldiers' Aseocintion (Air N. B. McCallum), Mr G. Blackwell (vice-president of the Association), and Mr "J. S. Guthrie, to discuss the plans of the club buildings, with power to act. On the suggestion of Mr E. Nordon it was decidcd to ask the manager of. the. Bank of New Zealand to act as treasurer. Mr McCallum, on behalf of the Association, thanked tho meeting for the . decision come to t the site, and promised the 1 Building Campaign Committee full .support.