WOODEN WAR CROSSES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18410, 17 June 1925, Page 13

WOODEN WAR CROSSES.

ARCHBISHOP AVERILL'S SUGGESTION. falO'U OUR OWX COEBESPOXDEST.) LONDON, May 8. Archbishop Averill's suggestion (cabled to England) that the New Zealand Government should secure a number of tho wooden crosses over New Zealanders' graves in France raises again a subject that was discussed five years ago. It will be remembered that the Imperial War Graves Commission offered to make these crosses available to those relatives who desired to have them. This would have meant that the High Commissioner's Department in London ■vvoujd have had to undertake the *?- sponsibility of forwarding them to the people in New Zealaud. The Government in . the Dominion, however, sent word that they did not intend to permit the crosses to be sent,-and there the matter ended. There had been a number of applications from people in New Zealand who had heard uuofiicially that the crosses were available. 'A little disappointment may have been 'felt by them, but no complaints were received and no further applications. The Archbishop's suggestion is that the crosses should be preserved sacredly, for ho said they had death-dealing weapons throughout the country. "Let theso crosses bo emblems of sacrifice." It is evident that the Archbishop's intention is that the crosses should be preserved in somo public places or ehufches; if this is so, the personal element would enter into tho matter. People might ask' why ono man's memory should bo honoured in this way to the exclusion of others equally worthy, for it may be supposed that the zinc name-plates' would be allowed, to remain on the crosses. Again, thoso relatives most nearly interested m the crosses might prefer to have them themselves, ancLmiglit object to their being preserved' in a public building. However that, may be, tho fact remains,, as the .Govetnment realised at J;Tie time, that .the" crosses are not what *so many people supposed them to be. They are not tho original ones placed over the graves bv comrades on tho field of battle. The'rc may bo a few of these left, but only a few. The crosses that pcojio in England arc obtaining through tRc War Graves Commission arc tho uniform wooden ones placed over the, graves in the concentrated cemeteries somo considerable time after the Armistice. They were a • makeshift until.the permanent headstones couldrbo original crosses mado by the engineers of the' .brigades or thq battalion carpenters, 'or nailed together by men in tho line, they would by this time, tie in such a condition as ito defy further preservation. '•■ If it is tho temporary crosses erected by the Graves Commission that tho' Archbishop has in mind, ther.o aro probably thousands still standing over. New Zealanders' graves, which could bo procured by the Dominion '.Government. What is' happening at tho present time'is this: — -When a cemetery is complete with headstones, and all applications for tho wooden crosses aro satisfied, tho cemetery is declared '' cleared.'' Tho • remaining wooden crosses aro collected in ono pile and burned, and ■tho* aslios aro : reverontly-'scattered over thejeemetery. .The zinc- name*-plates which defj' the flames are also collected and buriod within tho precincts of tho cemetery;,. It is probable that few people Zealand know of this ceremony cincration. It will be somo satisfaction for relatives to know;that although they aro'"''not' able to procure tho temporary crosses for themselves, theso are .not carelessly left about or employed for #ny, secular purpose. •

(so planned as to be, in ofEect, npntraffio streets), it is in the interests I of the public to diminish the widith ot i tho road -to be made and maintained kand—to quote tho dictum of the rSpeaker of tho House of Commons (Mr I J. H. AVhitlcy)—-deivote. tho -space thus iriada available to the "green of usefulgardens" instead of the "grey of useless.road surface." ' . ■-• •:• Building lines should be* fixed to s'ecure.ample eet-back to houses.. TheCommittee .recommend tliat a distance of seventy, feet between facing rows of houses should be regarded, as tho minimum spacing. The Committee, suggest that in most cases a of 80 feet is necessary to allow of sunlight entering the lower rooms of the houses during the darker periods of the year. This is the moire necessary for houses in areas north of the Trent. :• The Committee further urge'that a proper layout" scheme should be prepared in''every case, and, where houses are built bordering oh roads already constructed amplo garden space should be provided between the house and the road in order to secure that if, in the future, substantial widenings are made in these roads, the-houses shall be adequately protected from the noise, dust dnd vibration of passing traffic. t ''.'■■'

, Density of Building. It is to be provided that-the density of building will not exceed eight per acre in an agricultural parish, and twelve per acre« elsewhere. ■:''■•.;*"•'■ Interior Design. A.mpl© 'window space-, it is urged, should be given and the wirdows should be carried .as near to the ceiling . as possible, i Staircases should be designed in such a way as to secure the provision of adequate light. ,Care should be taken to safeguard against accidents to young children arising out of steep risers an«l narrow treads of stairways. , "Where the by-laws do not already demand it, and, where necessary, a layer of concrete or other impervious material should be laid under all floors to prevent damp rising, and a.proper damp-proof course should bo provided to all walls. The neglect of these elementary conditions of good, bouse building has been responsible for. much suffering amongst the. poor in both urbTtfh and rural districts. The level of th? ground floor of the house should be. above the level of tho groilnd immediately surrounding it.

Advice of Women. "*• The advice of women should be sought by local authorities ;in regard to points of detailed planning, touch matters as the provision of cupboards and larders, adequate storage accommodation, the suitable placing of sinks and coffoers. the provision of electrical appliances (where these can be economically supplied) and other' labourdevices are of great importance in the domestic economy of a house and should receive, special consideration. Literally the scheme contemplates the rebuilding of all England except, of course, the large homes of tho nch and business properties, public buildings, etc. As the scheme has been considered in that light.it will, no doubt set some standards for housing the people worthy of-world-wide acceptance.

THE WEATHER. *i Meteorological ooservatione taken ut the Magneto Otsaorva(ory, Christchurcb, at 0.30 am. and 3 p.m. on Juno lBlh: 9.30 a.m. 5 p.m. Barometer .. , .. 30.147 30.357 Thermometer— Dry bulb 43.2 40.4 Wet Dulb .. .. 42.4 35.7 Mas. prev. 2-t hours .. 46.4 Min. prcv. 2t houi-3 .. 37.2 Jlas. in sun .. ..SI ' Si Min. on grass .. .. 2D.3 Mas. during day 4 .. Humidity per cent. . -.. 94 86 Wind S.W., E.N.8., light, v. light. Cloud (0-10) ..... 1 0 Kaiu .. ... .. 0.158 in 0.004 in Forecast. Present indications are for .moderate to strong south-easterly to ncrth-caatcrly winds, tho weather changeable and showery- in tho East Coast districts of the North Island, but fair, to- cloudy generally. Tho barometer hn* a rising tendency.