The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, JUNE 13, 1902.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 441, 13 June 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, JUNE 13, 1902.

CORONATION MEMORIAL' The decision arrived at by the Borough Council at their last meeting to devote the .surplus funds towards the erection of an Old Men’s Home has given rise to much discussion, and as the result of a largely-signed requisition the Mayor has convened a public meeting to discuss the form in which a permanent- memorial shall take. The Council in deciding in favor of an Old Men’s Home were actuated by philanthropic motives, and anyone who has visited the institution in question must be convinced of t-he necessity of providing better accommodation for-t-lie aged poor. The financial state of our local bodies was another strong reason that induced the . Council to devote the funds to such a purpose. It) was pointed out that the Government would no doubt subsidise their own Coronation subsidy, and if this were done an Old Men’s Home to cost between £6OO and £7OO could have been built without making a levy on any. one of the local bodies. . Under such circumstances we cannot see how Cr Miller could refer to the proposition as bad financing on the part of the Council, although the wisdom of devoting the funds to the erection of an Old Men’s Home may be questioned. There seems to be a general desire on the part of the public to devote portion of the money to the erection of a band rotunda, but upon the question of site there is a wide divergence of opinion. Hiere is very little possibility of the ratepayers agreeing to the band rotunda being placed at the site suggested on the river bank near the Turanganui bridge, and if would be as well that the question of where it is to be located should be thoroughly threshed' out at the meeting on Monday next. For our own part we do not think that a better site could be secured than in front of the Mayor’s residence in Peel street. Half a dozen of the trees planted in the middle of the road could be removed, and in their steau could be placed a handsome band rotunda. A more centrally situated position could not be obtained, and if would be the most graceful compliment that the people of Gisborne could tender to the Mayor and Mayorets. A handsome band rotunda dedicated to the lady Mayoress of Gisborne would be the most appropriate Coronation memorial that the ratepayers could decide upon, and we feel sure that such a project would have the warmest support- of,the three local bodies interested. The carrying into effect of the above proposal should not entail an expenditure of over a hundred and fifty pounds, as subscriptions amounting to a hundred pounds have already been promised towards a band rotunda, the estimated cost of which is £250. As the Council has in hand the sum of four hundred pounds, provision could be made for a second Coronation memorial, and in this connection we would most strongly urge the claims of a public swimming bath for Gisborne. Reference has been frequently made to this matter in these columns, and we feel sure that no one can read the letter of “ .Visitor,” appearing in this issue, without admitting the necessity for the construction of a swim-ming-bath. It is pointed out by the writer that not more than fifty out of nearly a thousand children attending the Gisborne school have a knowledge of the useful art of swimming. Surely a stronger argument for the erection of a swimming bath could not be adduced, and as such a facility can be secured for a sum considerably less than what even a band rotunda would . cost, why should we hesitate. Both a band rotunda and swimming bath couid, witli the private subscriptions promised for the former, lie obtained with the Coronation funds in hand, and we do not think of the many suggestions offered there are any that will meet .with such favor from the ratepayers. The meeting on Monday night will, we hope, after fair discussion, arrive at a conclusion that- will be acceptable throughout the district-. We want no heart-burnings over the matter. Rather than have any after-bitterness it would

be better to allow the thing to lapse

altogether, for in our industrious community there is too much real work

;o do to have energy, wasted in local

party squabbles. The calling of a public meeting after the Council has decided the matter might possibly be taken as a mark of censure on that body, but we trust that there wll be no such feeling, and that while Councillors may still hold firm in their opinion, they will fall in with the decision of the public meeting, upon which the responsibility miry now be thrown.

We much regret the attitude adopted by our local contemporary in classing a home for the aged poor in the same category as gaols and lunatic asylums. Those incarcerated in asylums should have our deepest sympathy ; those in gaols, it is to be„lioped, may profit by the punishment, and turn from the error of their ways the aged poor are at least entitled to the respect of their fellow-men, for it must he kept in mind that many a one who has borne the heat and burden of the day has

through sickness and force of other circumstances been compelled to seek the aid of his fellow-men. Our hope is that’we have misunderstood our contemporary’s words in this matter..

MR SEDDON DAY BY DAY. The above heading, originally the witticism of a comic paper, bids fair to become an ordinary fact in the conduct of the daily newspaper offices. The English papers to hand teem with references to our Premier, the London Times leading the way. Many and varied are the opinions given concerning Mr Seddon, who is given many distinctive names from the “ Sulphurous Seddon’’ to the “Empire-builder.” And all the time, through tiie storm of criticism or the sunshine of laudation, Mr Seddon’s opinions are recorded, and increased force given to them by the publicity they obtain. The cables inform us that Mr Seddon is expected to arrive in England to-morrow. We have heard of him at Madeira, where his opinion on peace was obtained and sent forth to the world. Next week if we do not get our daily Seddon there will be much disappointment. “An Imperialist of Imperialists ” is

the term given to Mr Seddon. by the Leeds Mercury. “ The most conspicuous of Colonial Premiers ” is the opinion of the Morning Post. Socialist papers are so disrespectful as to re-

fer to “ Barnum Seddon.” The African Review takes up a very sensible position. After stating that Mr Seddon is bulking large as the big man of the Empire, the writer proceeds “ The Prime Minister of New Zealand

is a true patriot. He is a hold, if scarcely ail original, thinker ; all the ideas lie champions have been cham-

pioned ,by tiie pioneers of the Imperial Federation movement years before Mr Seddon took to politics. But that’s a detail. We admire Mr Seddon’s outspoken courage, and we freely allow that- the old fogies in high places

at Home must be galvanised into life and energy by men of Empire, who have grown up in those free and untrammelled countries beyond the seas, which contain so much of the real force and initiative power of our race. Nevertheless, we would say again, as we have said before, that the Imperial cause will gain nothing by ignoring

hard, unremovable facts. The colonists are naturally impatient ; they feel that if they had only the reins of power here, in the centre of the Empire, they would make 1 things hum ’ in double quick time. The ‘ old hats ’ moreover, are solid facts, and any attempt to remove them forcibly must inevitably lead to ructions. It must never he forgotten that there is a large and exceedingly powerful party in England which resents quite as keenly the coeksureness and self-satis-faction of the colonists (the same paper goes on to observe) as the colonists resent the exclusiveness, and don’t bother-me hearing of the typical home bred Englishman. Consequently, danger lies in extremes. Mr Seddon goes fairly far when he accuses the War Office, oil-hand, of breach of faith in not giving direct commissions to more than 20 or 30 New Zealanders, and in refusing to allot any more commissions to colonials, save in the case of men serving in South Africa. No doubt the decision is disappointing and exasperating, but while colonists abstain from making a demand for direct representation in the councils of the Empire, and procrastinate in the matter of their duty in regard to our first line of defence—the Imperial navy—they must expect to be shelved. The matter rests with themselves. Let them insist upon representation, and accept frankly its responsibilities.”