WELLINGTON’S WAR MEMORIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1929, Page 5

WELLINGTON’S WAR MEMORIAL

FOR EIG X AI A. I till .10 SPECIFIBI>

The one big surprise to tenderers for tile Wellington War Memorial, a representative of the “Dominion” lias been given to understand, was to find that the architects, Messrs Grierson, Ainger, and Draflin, of Auckland, had specified Sicilian marhle for the great plinth in preference to New Zealand marble. That surprise was based upon reasons other than the difference of the countries of origin, as there are experts in New Zealand who make the definite claim that the marble that is being turned out of the Kairurn quarries, at Nelson, is of superior texture to the Sicilian. It should be explained that “Sicilian” is only a trade name, as the marble of that name does not come from Sicily, but is the output of the marble quarries at Carrara, in Northern Italy. New Zealand marble has been successfully used in the case of the Parliament lluildings, the State Fire Insurance Company headquarters on Lambtou Quay, and in many other buildings in New Zealand, and has. it is understood, stood up faithfully to every test, whereas some of the Italian marble which has been used in New Zealand has not been quite so satisfactory, particularly as regards its absorbent qualities in respect to the acids from the cement used in the joints, where it has been noted that these on occasions have produced a kind of efflorescence as the acids come through to the surface. It is also saill that the New Zealand marble , in purity of tone and in strength and beauty of texture compares more than favourably with the Italian product

It is difficult to understand why, under these circumstances, that the architects have elected to specify the foreign product, particularly for a memorial in memory of our own dead heroes, when the country that fried them can produce as good, if not a better material It is being used at the present time for the Massey Memorial, which is to be erected at Point Halswell, and it is argued that if it is good enough for such a purpose, it should have had preference for Wellington’s own memorial. The war memorial is to have a base of Coromandel granite, which is very proper, and it would 'be only consistent if the plinth, which will he faced with some 1400 feet of marble, should be of native marble, especially where all things considered are equal.