THE CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22507, 15 September 1938, Page 8

THE CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

MINISTER’S STATEMENT ABOUT SUBSIDY AN ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL If the extension of the Canterbury Museum is approved as a centennial memorial for the province, the contributions will be eligible for a Government subsidy. This was made clear by the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry), in a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlqne). The Minister’s letter also commented on a proposal that a suitable memorial would be a municipal swimming pool. Such a memorial, he said, would fall within the general view of the Government that those types of memorial were preferable which embodied some form of community service. Discussing the inquiry whether the museum project would be subsidised by the Government, the Minister said he had never indicated that such a project would be bared from subsidy, He emphasised, however, that only £150,000 would be available for distribution throughout New Zealand for both memorials and celebrations. In this case, . any single project involving a very large expenditure might prejudice other local memorials. Recent reports indicated that the total sum aimed at for collection in Christchurch was about £30,000, the Minister added, and provided the scheme was definitely recommended by the provincial, , centennial committee and was approved by the national council, it would be eligible for subsidy, subject, however, to the full sum of £150,000 not having been exhausted by the time the money, on which the subsidies had been claimed had been raised.