SOLDIERS OF NGAIO

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 168, 12 April 1920, Page 4

SOLDIERS OF NGAIO

AN'HONOURS BOARD UNVEILED. An interesting ceremony (which will mean tradition to the district) took place at the Ngaio school on Saturday j afternoon, when, an honours board to | commemorate tho memory of those who went to the war from Ngaio, nnd those who had paid the full price of patriotism, whs unveiled by Brigadier-General G. S. Richardson. Mr. Watts (chairman of the School Committee) presided. In unveiling the honours board—which | was most artistically designed and illuminated, Brigadier-General Richnidson referred to the fino spirit of loyalty nnd self-sacrifice which New Zealand had manifested right through the war. They found that from a small district like sixty lads had volunteered, and of those twelve had made the supremo sacrifice. Incidentally, he mentioned that 17,000 New Zealanders had fallen in the war, anil to visualiso what tlwt meant said that, if thnt.number of men marched four abreast they would take three hours to pass a given point. In referring to the happy ending of the war, the general expressed tho hope that whatever Government might be in power he trusted they would see that tho actual dependants of those who had fallen in tho war would be k«pt in the same circumstances as though they still had the support of those who had "gone West." He then unveiled the board, expressing the hope that tho loyalty and devotion to duty of those whoso names appeared thereon'would inculcato a spirit of emulation with the young men of tho district for all time.

Mr. R. A. Wright, member for the district, apologised for tho absence of the Mayor (Mr. ,T. P. Luke), who was to have been present, but was detained in town owing to the arrival of the Corinthio with the last of the Now Zealand soldiers from England. Mr. Wright snid that an outstanding feature of the greatest war ot all time—and one Hint should not be overlooked—was that Britain's hands were perfectly clean in respect to the causation of the war, whilst, their soldiers on the field of battle had shown undaunted courage, nnd on all occasions hnd played the game, the statesmen of the Empire, prior to the call to arms, had. done all that was humanely possible to prevent war, and when they failed, through the machinations of those enemy countries wliich were eagerly desirous of war, they had risen to the occasion in n way that was traditional. One had only to review the work of Mr. Lloyd George to measure the consummate ability and alertness with which ho had guided the ship of Empire through the tempestuous seas of a world wnr. (Applause.)

The gathering concluded with the singing of the National Anthem.