WAR MEMORIALS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16416, 9 January 1919, Page 2

WAR MEMORIALS.

TO THB EDITOR O* "TBX MESS." . Sir, —As a war memorial I would (suggest a garden city in the suburbs of Christchurch, approachable by a fin© broad, straight avenue of oak trees, oach of which would be dedicated to the memory of a soldier who has sacrificed his life for his country. The garden city is the ideal at which our town-planners are'aiming, and its establishment in this district would not only be an attraction to the people of Christchurch who wanted a pleasant place of residence, with all the up-to-date improvements, but would be a show place for visitors from all parts, as this would be the first city of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It would have to be established on land now free of buildings, therefor© its site would liave to be some miles from Christchurch. To have quick, direct access to it, the proposed avenue to if would have to run straight out from the centre of the city. In my mind's eye I have this avenue running across Hagley Park as an extension of Armagh street, right out beyond Riccarton. Ifc would be a chain and a half or two chains wide, with a concrete roadway on which in time there would be a great traffic. On each side, and perhaps down the centre, oak trees would) be planted to the memory of the soldiers. The oak grows slowly, but it sends its roots deep down, and, like our race, it is sturdy and tenacious, and nob liable to be overcome by all the winds that blow. At the corner of Armagh and Colombo streets there might bo a great tramway centre, from which the trams would run direct to the garden cjty. In the centre of the garden city there might ba a war memorial of some sort—a Hall of Memories, perhaps, containing for all time records and trophies of the great war. The financing of the scheme would have to be by means of a public comply, which would acquire the land for the city at the price of rural land, sell' li on long-time payments as town allotments at perhaps ten times the price paid for it, thus giving an annual income for years to come for the forming of the city and its avenuo of approach. I commend the idea to Mr HursfcScager. It may be altogether too ambitious, and the financing of it may have difficulties, but a discussion of the project would be interesting.—Yours ctc., ' G.A.R.IT.