WAR MEMORIALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 153, 24 March 1920, Page 8

WAR MEMORIALS

OUR TRIBUTES TO THE

FALLEN

SUMMARY OF SCHEMES

LOCAL EFFORTS IN THE DOMINION

War memorials are being discussed from one end of New Zealand to the other at present. In many cases tho reports of, tho meetings held have indicated uncertainly as to tho most suitable form for a memorial to take. With a view to nssisting the movement, Tim Dominion - has endeavoured to ascertain exactly what has been done in each district, and a. circular containing the following questions was rccentlj dispatched . to the Mayors of all cities and boroughs in the Dominion:— (1) Has it been decided to erect a memorial?

(2) Has the municipality or any other body taken the matter in hand?' Please state which.

(3) AVlrat is tho memorial estimated to cost ?

(4) What sum is now in hand? - (5) How is tho money being raised ? (6) Please state briefly nature of memorial decided on, or alternative schemes under discussion."

The first seventeen districts replying have decided on tho following form's of memorial :--

Five districts-Feilding, Marten, Cambridge, Devonpurt, and West Harbour (IJunedjn)—have decided to erect stone monuments either in tlio form of columns or obelisks. Feilding', In addition, is proposing to. join in a district scheme of- scholarships for the children of soldiers. • Monuments nre al.se/ to be erected at Hastings and-Havclock North, but as part of a Inrger scheme detailed below. The nature of the memorials at Eotorua and Ashburton (tho latter a combined county scheme) have not yet been decided on, but tho form in both, cases ls .ni° to 0-itistic rather than utilitarian. lhc monumental form is also adopted by Christchurch in its Hall of Memories scheme,, for which it proposes to rai*e £25,000.

■ ■ A • monument was originally proposed at Waipukuraii, but the, scheme was abandoned, and a memorial swimming pool is now under consideration. Boxburgh has yet to doc Ale between a monument nnd public baths.

Hastings has a- schema for an auxiliary hospital nnd maternity home, to cos't .£2-5,000, with also a monument at Hosting.-- and another nt Havelock N'orth. Woodville proposes to ra : se ,£12,000 for a town ■ hall, with memorial tablets in th" vestibule. '

Onthung.i's memorial is to be a soldiers' memorial park and trophies museum.

PActalmna lwd a scheme for tho purchase of a nark, but owing to Uio lack of interest disnlayed it had to he abandoned, _ and the' movement 1o erect n memorial has lapsed. The replies from Palmerston North. New.Plymouth, n.m,l W.vhi stnto that nothing hn.s yet been decided en.

The money for the memorials is being raised by public, subscription. <xcopt in the cases of Feilding, Woodville, and Onelnmga, in which leans aro proposed. The Inrgost sum reported is in hand ;'s .£1,5,000 in the cose of Hastings, leaving a further .£IO,OOO reqigred to make up the'amount aimed at.- CnnVbridgo has collected .£1.500 towards' a total of .£2OOO. Dcvonport has aimed at .£3OOO, and already has in hand about .£IOOO. West Harbour has .£227 eollpotixl for a monument estimated to cost -C 225. None of the other districts replying hns yet beemi to raise money, but the amounts decided on are: Christchurch. ,£25,000; AVoodville, .£12.000 :(hwn): Botorua, about .£,5000: Feilding. .£3,500 (loan}; Onehnnga, .£3500 (loml; Mnrton, .£1,500 to .£2OOO.

Citizens' committees havo the movements in hand in all cases, except in Asl'burton. where the combined local bodies.of -the county, are'moving-jointly in the matter, and in Peilding. Woodville, nnd-Onehungn. whore the liorough councils are proposing to raise' the money by loan, proposals. ' j_. A summary of tli? replies to tho circular is appended:— ,

Onchunga.—Soldiers' memorial park nrid museum. A domain of 5i acres in the> borough, viz., Park." if, to be laid out in first-class style, with up-to-date children's playground,; tennis courts, etc., nnd the old blockhouse, dating from the Maori War davs is to be converted into a War Trophies'' Museum. Cost estimated at .£3500;,t0 be,raised by loan by tho borough. Devonport.—A monument to be erected to cost'about .£3000.' A sum of £1000 has been raised by organised house-to-hon» canvass, collection being mndo only in tho evenings when heads of households are at home.

Cambridge.—A marble granite column, surmounted by a figure to cost .£IOOO at first proposed, but as it will not be possible to raise nioro than ,£2OOO a new design is to bo obtained. The Mayor. Ims suggested, a cenotaph. A sum of £1500 is nlready subscribed. Rotorua.—Memorial to bo art:'6tic. rather than utilitarian. Competitive designs to be called for. All men in Group Area No. 17 who fell to be commemorated. A sum of .£SOOO is to be aimed fit, to lie raised by subscriptions, entertainments, sales of work, etc.

Marion.—A column is to bo erected upon a series of steps, with a full base with four sides for tho names of the fallen, and n cross is to be embodied also on.each face. Cost estimated at £1500 to .£2OOO, to bo raised by public subscription in horongh and district.

Feilding.—Monument in Aberdeen granite/ about 35 feet high, names of all men from the town who lost their lives in tho war to be inscribed on the haw. Monument to bo placed in the sounrft in centre of town. Cost estimated at £3500. to be raised by special loan, noil vet to be taken. Most of the surrounding country districts have already orected local memorials. A district schema for scholarships for soldiers' children, is under discussion. It is proposed that the Borough Council and tho three neighbouring counties shall form a fund sufficient for six scholarships of £100 per annum. Scheme to run for forty years, scholarships to be open to all children under thirteen of men who served overseas, and to be awarded after competitive examination in the public schools.

Hastinqs.—Auxiliary hospital and maternity homo at Hastings nnd monuments at Hastings and Hnvelock North, but cnlv a veiT small proportion of tho monev to be spent on the monuments. Estimated cost, £25.000; about £15,000 how in hand, money being raised by public subscription under committee representative of the town and district local Iwlies. , Wamukurau.—A public meeting decided on a monument, but Aiwing to lack of support, and i-ome opposition, the prouosal was abandoned. The Mayor is ■ob'ainins designs and estimates for a memorial swimming pool, and these when comnletn will bo submitted to the Borough Council, and later to a public meeting, with n view to raising funds by subscrintion. Cost at present uncertain.

Woodville.—Memorial Town Hall to contain public library, reading room, ami municipal offices. Tablets of marble or brass will be placed on the walls of the vestibule of tjio Town Hall. Estimated cosl. ,£12.000; money to be raised by loan; poll of ratepayers not yet taken. Eketahuna.—An unsuccessful effort was made bv tho Borough Council to arrange for the purchase of 40 acres of land in the centre of the town, one of the beauty snots of tho'district, as a memorial park. The land was to cost cCOO per acre, but. has since been sold for ,£G4. No interest was shown by residents, and the matter has been abandoned. Christchurch—After tho discussion of various alternatives it has been decided to erect a "Hall of Memories," i.e., a sacred sanctuary of art and statuary. The cost is estimated at .£25.000, and is to be raised bv voluntary subscription. the canvas* not yet having bosun. A specinl citizens' committee has tho matter in hand. Ashubrton.—The local bodies of the county are combining to eyect n memorial, which it has been decided shall not be one of utility. No decision has been venrlmd us in the cost. The money is to lie raised by subscription. West Harbour (Dunodin),—An obelick 10ft. Gin. high in reinforced concrete is to be erected, with four marble slabs for the names, etc. Thero are 182 names of living and dead soldiers to bo inscribed.