WAR MEMORIALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 187, 4 May 1920, Page 7

WAR MEMORIALS

TREE-PLANTING SCHEMES

PHOTOGRAPHS OF FALLEN MEN

Details of over another score of local war memorial schemes have come in in response to The Dominion's circular. The proposals are varied. Several districts . have planted, or are planting, trees in memory of fallen soldiers. . This idea has been extensively carried out in Oamaru. Stone monuments aro again favoured in a considerable number of cases. Stratford, while undecided as to the form of its permanent memorial, has collected photographs of tho fallen men in the town and district, and placed them in panels in its municipal buildings, with the record of each man. Marlborough has two rival schemes for its provincial memorial, and is considering a proposal that a plebiscite should ba taken on the matter.

The details of the schemes are as follow:—

Dargaville.—Memorial park and sports ground of about 35 acres .is being established. The transfer of the property will take place within a week or two.

Birkenhead.—A committee 6et up by the borough council 'has been appointed to report on suitable proposals. Whangarei.—Porin of memorial not yet decided on.

Auckland.—Hatter still under consideration, but a decision will probably bo arrived at at an early date. Te Kuiti.—Proposals considered by borough'"'council and Waitomo County Prospects of raising money poor owing to need for a public 'hospital in Te Kuiti. Tho returned 6oldicrs 77ave '.£SOO in hand subscribed locally for a returned soldiers' club. They do not consider this is needed, and sugsest handing it over towards the cost of a public cottage hospital (estimated at fwm £35C0 to .£4000), one ward of which will be built as a memorial.

Waitara.—Memorial gates with suitable tablets luive been erected at tho main entrance to the Domain, at a cost of .£l5O. The monev was collected by the Clifton Football Club.

' Stratford.—Nothing yet decided, but a "801 l of Honour" of Stratford district men who fell in the war has been established in the municipal buildings. This tnkes'the form of photographs of the men with.their records, placed in panels containing twelve photographs each. ■ Over eighty, photographs have been received up to tho present.

Patea.—An obelisk'' will probably bo erected in soine prominent position in the town. Several schemes are in the nir, but nothing yet definitely decided. A. special citizens' committee has been sot up. No definite amount has ibeen decided upon, but it is believed that £1000 will be the maximum. Collection of funds has not yet been started.

• Dannevirke,—Heroic size figure of a New 1 Zealand soldior in'ltalian marble, mounted on a base of Nelson marble. Cost estimated at £2090. About £300 in hand, money being collected by committee of citizens appointed at public meetin?.

Carterton.—An unused section in the centre of the town is to be made a beauty soot with flower beds, running water, o>c. _A simple memorial stone is to be placed in the centre, but the. whole will be the memorial, not merely the stone. To cost £0000, about £3500 being now.in hand. Special canvassing committees have lieen set up toy a public meeting. Marlborough.—Mr. A. M. Thomson, secretary of the Marlboronnrh War Memorial Association, writes:—Various localities in. tho district have decided to erect local memorials. The question of erecting a provincial war memorial was conat a conference of local bodies in Blenheim in October last. The meeting affirmed the dosirabilitv of erecting a provincial memorial of Marlborough's part in the Great War. and it was agreed that the .money should be raised by public subscription, and not by any rmrticular levy on local bodies. The conference indicated its desire that the memorial should be of n.n artistic design, and not of a utilitarian character. Subsequ«ntly it was decided to form a Provincial War Memorial Association to carry the project through, this association to consist of one represent"five of each of the statutory locrl bodies, the Mirjied Soldiers'- Association, Patriotic Association, and Sounds Farmers' TTnion. Bv tliis means all ports of the district will be represented. Th™ question of site has been a controversial one. A strong claim has been mad? by Picton in support of Mabel Island ns the memorial site—"at the gateway of Marlborough's patriotism." Waterlen Park, which was nresented by Mr. William Pollard. "The Delta," to the Borough of Blenheim, and which adjoins the new racecourse, is the rival site, and tliose citizens who are keen on its development as a municipal rendezvous are associating the memorial scheme with their plan of campaign. It has been recommended that a plebiscite of the residents of Marlborough over 18 years of age be taken to decide the question of site, and this recommendation will be considered at next meeting of tho association. The advocates of the Mabel Island cause suggest the erection of a tall column, to bp illuminated bv electricity at night. Tho scheme for the development of'Wnterlea Park proposes a" granite monument, with an environment of gardens, rockeries, and a lakelet; the entrance gates to be specially designed to indicate boldly the years of war—l9l4-1919 —and to open into a memorial drive. . It is further proposed to plant a belt' of English trees, each tree' to perpetuate tho memory of each Marlborough soldier who fell in the Great War, and to bear a nlnte indicating his number and name. Ftichmond.-A T.M.C.A. hutment with class rooms, hall, ladiris' rest room, billiard room, social 'room, etc., was practically decided on bv the. newly-formed' branch of the Y.M.O.A. in Richmond, and the public decided to adont it as their war memorial and have subscribed liberally. Tt is intended to erect a marble tablet with the names of those who fell inscribed thereon. The total cost is £2800, and £2330 has now been subscribed.

Kuianoi.—A marble statue of a New Zealand soldier in full kit, 6even feet high, mounted on a 10ft. base, is to be erected.;with the names of Kaianoi soldiers (about 200} engraved on panels on the base. The cost is estimated at £\2ho, and a sum of ,£IOO is in hand, the canvass' not having- yet been started. Tho movement is being - organised by thei Patriotic Committee in conjunction with tho."Borough Council. Akaroa.—Peninsula War Memorial Com-, mittee had collected about .£l2flo before Easter, and hones to obtain between -£3000 and .£4OOO. A carnivali in, aid of the fund was held on Easter Monday, and it was.honed to have the bull- of the money in by then. The form of the memorial is to hn decided at a meeting of subscriber*. Geraldine.—A Celtic cross 20 feet high is to be. erected in' the centre of the horoiiph with the names of all men from the district cut in the base. Between .Mk)' and '.£SOO is' required, and .£3OO is in hand. Oamaru.—Some 000 oaks have been planted in the Iwroii»hV each tree commemorating a. soldier from the district who lost his life in the war, and one tree—a red oak—in memory of Nurse Clarke, lost in the Marquette. Each Ireo. will bear tho name inscribed on n brass-plate of the foldier it commcir;o : rates. In the country the trees are, .being planted at :u\h intervals along the roads. v The. town p.inmn was completed in November, I01!)j ■ The l:ees '"ere dedicated by Lord Jollicoe on his visit, and a boulder of l-ical bl'iestone with, a marble slab and inscription was placed k-side the tree in i:>.v.aor.v of Sergeant Forrester Brown, V.0.. as a record of |-iio nerpmony. the idea of .the troenlnnting was suggested by Dr. Douglas, of the Oamaru Bet nlifying Society, and at once, annealed to public sentiment. The expense of tlm t»wn memorial!: va.° borne conjointly by the Oamaru Borough. Council and the Beautifying Society. The ppuntrv portion is being undertaken by tho Waitaki County Cfviie.il. Some further memorial is also being considered, Hampden.—Memorial trees have been planted with inscriptions and certificates issued to all returned soldiers and next-of-kin of. those.who lost tlie:r lives. The municipality has decided a!lso Vi erect cither a memorial hall or a monument, the money to bo raised by public subscriorion

Alexandra.—A monument, is to be placed at.tho corner of the recreation grounds and the main street, and the rnmes (f all fallen soldiers belonging tn the town and district are to be inscribed on it. The cast is estimated at from .MOO to .£6OO, and. JE4.00 has already been raised br public subsoription through the Patriotic Association.