TO HONOUR THE MEN OF ANZAC

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2719, 14 March 1916, Page 6

TO HONOUR THE MEN OF ANZAC

ANNIVERSARY OF FAMOUS LANDING MEMORIAE SERVICE AND PATRIOTIC MEETING His Worship the Mayor (Mr.; J. P. Cuke) presided at a conference of Mayors and chairmen of local bodies held yesterday afternoon to consider ways and means of commemorating Anzao Day (April 25). There were present: Colonel Pilkington, A.G. (representing . .'the Defence Department), Messrs. C. C. Crump (Mayor of OnBlow), H. Baldwin (Mayor of Lower Hutt), J. W. M'Ewan. (Mayor of Petone), J. P. Kelly (Mayor of EastboUrne), F. Townsend (Mayor of MiramarK B. Burn (Mayor of Karori), and Mr. F. T. Moore (chairman of the Johnsonville Town Board). : .

.. The "Ichaiirman stated, that lie , had felt that some united effort should,'be roado among the local-bodies, with the assistance of the Government, to celebrato Anzac -Day. Something ought to bo done in the way of paying' a tribute, not only, to those who liad :-inade the greatest sacrifice of all by giving their lives for their country,-but also to those who had come through, in many cases broken-for life: It'should also be their duty to pay a tribute to the parents of those who had fought and suffered for Britain in her need. Part of the' "commemorative - occasion, he thought, might'take, the forin of morial-'service-for those who -had given up their lives, _and in the .evening a big patriotic meeting could be held in the Town -Ball,, where :a tribute"-.to. the parents of those who liad gone out ,to fight could, be/paid, and possibly soiiie.thing done to aid recruiting. Ho did not care to Relieve that the young men of New Zealand wished to shelter themselves behind tho lives of those who had gone away, but rather wished to believe that they only required to be interested, and they could do that at tho meeting. The Mayor said lie had communicated with the Prime Minister (Mr. Msissby) and received a sympathetic reply with a promise to attend the meeting if possible. Nothing of the spirit of -levity or the exploiting of the people in a financial way should be countenanced. His proposal was that a big memorial service should' be held in the Town Hall between noon and 1 p.m.j and that similar services should be hold' in. the churches of tlie city and suburbs at tho same time, and at night a big rally of a patriotic character. All work would cease at 12 o'clock, and tho people would adjourn to the most conveniently situated church or .the Town Hall. Then on the succeeding Sunday, he proposed that the Minister of Defence be approached with respect to a church.parade.

Mr. H. Baldwin said he thought it would'be impossible to hold the church .-tervices between 12 (noon) and 1 p.m., unless there was a public holiday. If jt "were . going to be on an ordinary working day when were .the men to get their meals? 'If the day were proclaimed a public holiday, the Mayor's programme, which he approved, could be acted upon, in'the city and the suburbs districts at the same time. Ho agreed that there should he a memorial sorviceMet that come first, jubilees after. * •

Mr. Burn asked whether they.could not approach tho Government and. ask for "a holiday. Mr. Lujts: "I wished to avoid it ; being made anything in the character of . a fete day. I think if people left their work in the ordinary way at 12 o'clock,-they could manage on a 'working day, or they could knock off from 12 to 2, if necessary." i ' . Mr. Burn agreed .with Mr,. Baldwin, that they should ask the Government to proclaim a public " ".He did not think much of people if they could not give one day in' the. year in remembrance of those who had laid down their lives for them all.

Mr. J. W ; . M'Ewan asked whether they were notattemptingto do something that the Ministers (of the Church) should attend to? Weren't They encroaching:', on" .their functions? What they proposed to do at Petone was that tho National Reserve connected with the railways workshops was exchanging flags with a similar organisation in New South' Wales. They proposed to hoist the flag on Anzac Bay, and ,in the evening hold a meeting in honour of the day, and-endeavour to get some recruits! .He submitted that the memorial service was the concern of the clergy, not theirs.

.Mr. Luke said ho would bo the last to suggest that they should organise the memorial service. It was-for the local authorities, however, to take tho lead, leaving it to tho Ministers to arrange the services in tho Town Hall and churches.

Mr. F: Townsend said they should make it a holiday every year. If a citizen could not commemorate such an Dccasion on one day in the year, he did not think much of his patriotism.

Mr. C. C. Crump advocated a holiday )hroughout the Dominion. Mr. IV Moore thought that a holiday waj necessary to adequately celebrate the day—the anniversary: of tbo advent of our men upon a- European Saroleneld. No countenance should be given to fetes or frivolity—it should be a holy ;day, on which they could lament' those who had fallen, and show their hope and faith in the future.

Mr. J. P. Kelly thought that if a rhole holiday werp proclaimed the programme would have to be expanded; ft was on a holiday with nothing to, do Jliat many people got into hot.water.' ; Colonel Pilkington stated that if the territorials and Senior Cadets were needed they could turn out m'oro easily 011 a' Sunday or a' proclaimed holiday than on a week-day. lie pointed out that in the case of the Territorials a good deal of timo had been spent in camp lately. He did not know if tho troops in camp would be available. If so, it would ho on a Sunday only. Mr. Baldwin finally moved that a public half-holiday be proclaimed, and •that the Territorials and Senior Cadets parade at the Government Buildings at 2 p.m., to procecd to tho Basin Reserve, where a memorial service, to bo arranged by the Ministers' Association, would bo hold; further,. that if any church wished to hold a memorial ser» vice it should be at liberty to do so; and that a patriotic meeting bo held in the Town Hall the same evening.

This was seconded by Mr. C. C. Crump and carried. • It was decided that a deputation of all present should wait upon the Primo Minister with reference to .the proclamation of tho half-holiday and the turn out of the Territorials and Cadets.

tt was pointed out that April 25 was the Tuesday following Easter Monday, and was always observed as a holiday by the Public Service.