The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1920. PUKEKOHE MEMORIAL MUDDLE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 562, 31 August 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1920. PUKEKOHE MEMORIAL MUDDLE.

Last year a poll of the ratepayers of Pukekohe was taken to decide what form the town's war memorial should take. There were three proposals: namely, hospital, monument. end swimming baths. The result was in favour of a hospital, but as this scheme was objected to by the Hospital Hoard* - and Health Department it had to be abandoned, and the second choice, that of a swimming baths, therefore carried the day. But a few months ago a new proposition canto along in the form of an offer of a nark to the town, the donor being Mr. Vv'm. Roulston. A 1 first there was r. condition attached to the oiler to the effect that it musl be used as a town ball site; later

this condition was transferred to ap

ply to another property, and a new condition attached to the park offer to the effect that it must be used

as a war memorial park, and the deed of "ill states that WMI must be spent on it within two years for

a war memorial. So now we have two war memorial propositions. The baths, although only a second preference, must be built, provided the council is able to secure the money authorised by the carrying of the loan, and a war memorial must be attached thereto, or the baths themselves be called the memorial. And having accepted the Roulston park with the memorial conditions included the council must either spend the *:r>oo thereon or forego the property, unless the donor be willing to forego conditions which may or may not have been attached by his particular desire. -Our impression was that, Mr. Roulston's- original idea was 10 donate the park purely and simpL as a gift to the town, without any especial wish that a war memorial be erected on it. At anyrate, Pukekohe lags behind other districts in this matter, and is already being pointed at with the linger of scorn. A debt of honour and gratitude is due, ami for very shame's sake it is high time the public was given a clean, straight lead, so that they .might be able to subscribe towards the cost ol a war memorial of some description. A public meeting in regard to the above is to be held in the Borough Council Chambers to-morrow afternoon, and for the credit of the town it is highly desirable that some finality should be arrived at.