WAR GRAVES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 206, 26 May 1921, Page 9

WAR GRAVES

MEMORIAL CEMETERY AT KARORI SUGGESTED EXTENSION A 'deputation, from the Women’s National Reserve, accompanied by Air. Scott (War Graves Branch of the Internal Affairs Department), waited on the Keeefves Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon in regard to the Soldiers* Memorial Cemetery at Karori. Mr. C. Holmes explained how the Women’s National Reserve came to be interested in the memorial cemetery. The cemetery was opened in June, 1918, since when 200 soldiers had bean buried there, including 113 who dit;d during the epidemio period. Those graves were being kept in order bjrthe Girls’ Club consented with tho Women’s National ReeervQ, The first Toques? tljey made wan that the upper part of; tho cemetery, above the green-bank, which, was not at present occupied, might be reserved for tho interment of ex-soldiers, not in the Government service, who might die from causae other than way disabilities. In making that: request he mentioned that tho Government regulations provided for an official war grave. Such war graves Were—(l) For those who died whilst actually serving. (2) For members of the who died within twelve months from the day of their discharge through disabilities caused by the war. (3) For members of the N.Z.E.F. who died as (Jus result of war disability, having been continuously under treatment, irrespective of Hme, What the Women’s National Reserve wished to provide for was a soldier’s grave for those ex-soldiers who did not come within the meaning of tho Government regulations, in cases where the relatives of the deceased desired such burial. The upper part of the cemetery would bo near the Cross of Remembrance, which~was to be erected by the Government, In tho case of graves in the upper portion of tho cemetery, tho headstones mus? "'conform to the regulations. The (peaker here called on Mr. Scott to show tho committee a series of photographs oj way cemeteries at Featherston and also hi France.

Mrs, Chatfield said that they wanteel the committee to work with the Women’s National Reserve as they had done formerly. It would be considered a great privilege: by some people to have their relatives who served in tho war buried in a soldier’s grave, and that could be done without interfering with the official war graves in the cemetery. She suggested that if the request were granted the new part of the cemetery should be laid out on straight lines instead of curves, whereby space would be saved, without any loss of boauty and dignity. The chairman of the committee (Councilor W. H. Bonnett) said that, the Petting aside of land for ex-soldiers who died as the result of disabilities suffered isj'the war or in camp was one,dhing, tut it was a very much larger matter to attend to those who happened to die from causes outside the war. He did not, for Instance, know whether the area of land was large enough to allow this to be Jone. They would do their best to assist Tn every possible way. Mr. Holmes eaid there would be enough men from the Trentham and Waipukurau Hospitals alone to fill the existing Memorial Cemetery. There was a strong desire that they should also ba able to get the upper part of the cemetery for the burial of other. soldiers. Some time ago tho City Council made a .£5OO grant for a memorial wall for the cemetery. Mr. Page, a local architect, designed a wall, and tenders were called. But the only acceptable tender was about J 1750 so the matter was shelved. they had ’been informed- that by omitting two sets of steps they might got the work done for the amount of the grant. The chairman flaid the estimate. for the work was -C525. • In view of the financial stringency and the depression of the money market the matter was d«city engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) paid that Mr. Pago was the architect of ’the wall, and before any modification of the design was contemplated ho thought Mr. Page should be consulted. He did not think that the cutting out of the steps would bring the price down to the amount of the grant. Tho chairman again gave an assurance that the committee would , assist .the deputation as far as was feasible.