THE QUEEN'S STATUE. And the People's "More Men" Fund.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 76, 14 December 1901, Page 8

THE QUEEN'S STATUE. And the People's "More Men" Fund.

SEVERAL years ago the patriots and others of Wellington thought it would be a fine thing to have a statue of our late Queen as a lasting memorial of hei lecoid reign The nucleus of the fund was formed at a time when the feelings of personal attachment towards Her late Majesty, which were strong in the breasts of hei people were more than ever manifest There was a divided opinion as to whether a marble statue was the best form of commemoration, but. at any rate, it was decided that way. and subscriptions poured in until the amount reached £1600 and there it stayed But £2000 is wanted to purchase a statue that shall be worthy the subject and reflect credit on the Empire City. Suddenly, the promoters of the fund, after a prolonged sleep have wakened up, bethought themselves of the £475 balance that lies to the credit of the "More Men Fund, and stretch forth their hands to claim it True this money was subscribed for the very direct and practical purpose of equipping men of the district who enlisted for active service in South Africa The managers of the Queen's Statue Fund howevei argue that no more men aie likely to be sent to South Africa and that therefore, as the perpetuation of the late Queen s effigy in marble appeals to the like feelings of patriotism which prompted the subscription of funds for the "More Men Fund," the Queen s statue should have the money • • * This kind of logic is specious, and ingenious rather than ingenuous It rests on the ricketty foundation that no more men will be needed for the war in South Africa — an assumption which seems to be negatived by present events Even were this not so. there is absolutely no more reason why the residue of the "More Men Fund" should be added to the Statue Fund, than that the £1600 should be added to the £475 to send more men to Africa If the £475 is to be diverted surely there are channels more closely connected with it than that which would draw off the money for the Queen's statue ? What about the men who have been disabled by

service in South Africa, and the realtives of those who have died there in the cause of the Empire ? Is theirs not the paramount claim ? • • • The people who subscribed the More Men Fund" showed that their loyalty was practical. They probably reasoned that men in Africa were of more use to the Empire than marble statues in the Empire City If it is not necessary to spend the money on more men, then there are cases of poor mothers, even widows relatives of New Zealand soldiers, to whom a dole from that fund would be welcome There aie men who have been injured in the cause of Empire to whom the money would do more good than it will do if transmuted into marble. If a Queen's statue can only be erected in Wellington by the diversion thereto of funds raised for a totally different purpose, then it will not reflect very creditably upon us as a community If £475 is all that is required to enable the statue to be put up, surely that amount may be raised without much difficulty, even although the Queen be dead?