PAPATOETOE WAR MEMORIAL.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 620, 1 April 1921, Page 5

PAPATOETOE WAR MEMORIAL.

TWO SITES DISCUSSED. OBELISK FAVOURED. A meeting of subscribers to the Papatoetoe War Memorial Fund was held bn Monday, March 21st, following a requisition to the chairman, bear:r.g the- signatures of a number of residents-of the district that the whole matter be re-considered. The meeting was a very representative cne, and was presided over by Mr A. S. Hall, chairman of the Town Board.

Business was commenced with the chairman’s report of the action taken by the Orphan Home Trust Board with regard to the grant of the corner of their property near the railwav traffic bridge, to enable the road to bs widened so that a memorial Cool'S be placed" in the middle. It had teen a g'reat deal of trouble to eret this report ,but the members were compensated for the delay by the grant of the triangle of land which at present made a slight turn in the road after crossing the bridge. It is about fifty feet deep at the meeting of the roads. With the memorial placed in the centre of this square there would be approximately fifty feet of road all round, rfter the footpaths had been allowed for. One subscriber expressed the opinion that a monument placed on the Site referred to would be a source of perpetual danger, but all doubt was quickly dispelled by several instances of the value a monument served for regulating traffic in busy thoroughfares. That which was situated at the Royal Oak, Onehunga, stood at the meeting of five roads, but there was no record of any accident ever occurring there. Of course it would be lit up at night. ANOTHER SITE SUGGESTED. Mr Andrews, headmaster of the Papatoetoe School, contended that the best site for the monument was cn the Great South Road, near the school, at the meeting of four roads. That was the busyvhighway. While recognising that the question of a site was always a difficult one to settle, as personal interests were liable to enter in, he thought that a memorial which conveyed'so much as one' erected in honour of the heroes at the front could not be better situated than where it would be in 4on. c .:tant view of the school children, [e emphasised the fact that symbols were much more valuable than words in bringing home such lessons of fellowship and patriotism. In support of this,'Mr JLiaw deplored the fact that both the interiors and exteriors of our public schools were most miserably equipped with anything that could have an uplifting influence with the young. Whether this site of the station site was more in the public view brought a difference of opinion; but Papatoetoe seemed to be growing faster to the west than to the east. At no very distent period there would be a school on the western side of the railway line as the land had already been secured, while the probable growth of •fejne orphanage school would make n third school, each more or less equally distant from the station site for the memorial. Form of Memorial. There was a decided tendency to favour an obelisk as the most commanding ‘and the most impressive fonxK of memorial. A sum of £2sfi was in hand and it was thought that an effort should be made to double this amount and raise a memorial even more picturesque than that -which stands on the Redoubt Hill at Howick and cost £4OO. The Rev. Potter informed the meeting that •.-the questions upon which they were at variance were of a somewhat similar nature to those upon which there had been frequent discussion in The large city of Christchurch and he did ro t know that they had arrived at finality even yet. He, therefore, urged that they should give every aspect of the questions their full consideration to arrive at a satisfactory decision. The meeting concluded with passing the following motion:— “That this meeting is of opinion that the site of the monument be reconsidered and the school site be considered.” Another meeting will be held on Friday, April 8, for the purpose of • such consideration. ,