THE NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS GRAVES GUILD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 225, 16 June 1908, Page 5

THE NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS GRAVES GUILD.

. Tho secretary of the New Zealand Soldiers' Graves Guild (Mr. H. von Haast), has re-, c'eiv'ed from tho Hon; Federal.Graves' secretary of. the Guild of Loyal Women of South Africa, a report on the work that has been done during the past two years in South Africa. The- Imperial War Office offered to oreet an iron cross on the grave of every soldier buried in South Africa, or to hand over to the Loyal Women's Guild tho sum of ten shillings for . every grave permanently marked by them. This offer which was made to each of the' South African colonies, was only to hold good for two years. Natal and the Orange River Colony choso. the crosses, ' which were erected, and Cape Colony and the Transvaal choso the ten shillings, as they feared that in, their climate the military cross, which is made of cast iron, would not be permanent, and they erected handsome crosses of wrought iron bearing namo plates of beaten.brass. The guild found it difficult to accomplish the work in tho given two years, but by dint of hard work succeeded in having evory'grave with the exception of 37 permanently marked either by a cross or'by a large stone cairn, erecting 2000 in one col- . ony. alone. The 37 graves the Guild intends to mark at its own expense. The question of the upkeep of the graves.has'now to bo considered. Between £2000 and £3000 has been raised in Great Britain, and'it'is hoped that Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, will contribute, and that the sum i so raised will bo vested in trustees. '