PETONE WAR MEMORIAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 140, 8 March 1919, Page 3

PETONE WAR MEMORIAL

CONSIDERED "AT PUBLIC MEETING. A well attended public meeting was held in St. Augustine'ti Hall for the purpose of considering proposals for the erection of a war memorial to commemorate tho memory of soldiers who have "gone West." Mr. J. W. M"Ewan pres:<led and outlined the steps taken by the committee. The first proposal was the park scheme-as submitted by the Mayor, having for its objcct the turning of a portion of the Recreation Ground into a park with a memorial in tho centre. Speaking in support of the scheme Mr. M'Ewan said the park improvement scheme had much to commend it to those who lost* relatives in the war. The sec'ond schemo. was the proposal to crect" a memorial at the junction of Jackson and Buick Strests. The third gcheme was the proposal of Mr. London lor a Hall of Heroes, and in support of his scheme Mr. London moved that public subscriptions be invited for the purpose of building a memorial hall to commemorate the achievement of the young men engaged in the great war. That in such a hall a suitable tablet with the names of soldiers engraved be provided, and that the framed portraits of those who made the supremo sacrifice b2 obtained and displayed on the walls of the hall, and that the hall be made available at a email charge to all activities having for their purpose tho uplifting of humanity. The next proposal submitted was for a boys' institute. Mr. Sibun placed the matter before the meeting. He considered' that this scheme would be a living memory. The schemo, he felt, would provide some place for the bovs to go to when they left school. In the institute could be erected a tablet having inscribed on it tho names of all those who'"'had gone from Petone and made thlj [supreme sacrifice. The stumblingblock in the way seemed to be the ex-, but he thought it could easily bo overcome, and he felt quite convinced' that it would bo a great boon to the boys of the town. - - Mr. D. M'Kenzie was granted permission to put a suggestion to the meeting. He suggested that an emblematic memorial arch be erected at the Buick Street entrance of the Recreation Grounds, the arch to bo made of granite and marble, specimens of New Zealand and English geology. Mr. Medhurst said ho had intended to put forward a suggestion, but after hearing Mr. London's proposal he was convinced it was the better scheme and had muoh pleasure in supporting it. iilr. G. Bond favoured Mr. Sibun's soheme of a boys' institute. Mr. M'Arthnr tliought tho scheme for the erection of a monument at the junction of Buick and -Jaolcson Streets a good

one. . Mr. Hartley favoured the park Improvement schemo. Mr. R. Jenkins supported Mr. London's proposal. ■ iifr. D. Badenfield favoured the boys' institute. He still believed, in it even though they had proved a failure at times. There was a great deal to be said in favour of Mr. London's scheme, and he did not see why it should not be embodied, in the boys' institute soliemo. Mr. C. N, Haslam said that all the schemes v had an t-lemnut of good in them —selection was the difficulty. There was, however, the money question to be considered, and personally he favoured either Mr. London's scheme or STe park 6cheme. Tho human .element in Mr. London's scheme appealed lo him very strongly. A vote of the meeting was then, taken 03 to which two schemes the people of Petone should havo an opportunity of deciding on, and the rcvsult was in favour of Mr. London's ■ schemo of a hall for heroes' and the . Park Improhiment scheme. It was decided to > btnin information as to the probable cost of the schemes and to submit same to a public meeting in, order that they might know what they wore voting for. It was decided that the present committee and Messrs. D. M'Kenzie, M'Artliur, Parrani, Hartley, Medhurst, Bond, Scholefield, and Mesdames M'Ewan and Bridge bo appointed an executive committee -with power to increase their number. Mr. Haslam was appointed secreI tary, aos Mr. M'Ewan chairman.