DEAD AND FORGOTTEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 5 December 1906, Page 2

DEAD AND FORGOTTEN.

SOLDIER'S CEMETARY IN COURTENAY STREET, A/.most hidd-cn by long grass and totally disregarded by the rising generation who repair thenco to play cricket or football, forgotten perhaps bv many of the early settlers, and unknown to tho newer arrivals, neglected by all, are the graves of several of the men who stood shoulder to shoulder agaiirst the onslought of the war-ike Maoris of forty or fifty years! ago. We refer to the pot of ground between Leach and Coui'tenay streeis, in the vicinity of Eliot street. A stone slab marks the last restingpla e of one Dr MacAudrew, surgeon in the S7 ; h Regiment, tho monument having been erected by his brother officers. Tiie grave of the lat e Sergeant Peter Fahey is indicated by a puriri slab, on which is recorded the fact that lie, a member of the Taranak- militia, fe.l in action at the battle of Waireka; and that this memorial was erected by the officers, non-com-missioned officers, and men in the Omata district. He was the first. British Volunteer killed in action. And there are other warriors taking their rest in this almost forgotten burying ground, nor stick nor stone marks the spot where their bo 'ies were laid.

As related by Mr W. H. Skinner at Monday nights meeting, when -the iVew Zealand Company laid off iie town of New Plymouth to the different, denominations were allotted burying grounds. p:; ote 0 te were laid off for the Anglicans at St. Mary's, for the VVesleyans, Primitive Metflodists Independents, Roman Catholics, and J. lesbyterians. Long ago these cemeteries were closed, and with the exception of a piece he.d by Independents near Marsland Hit and the Roman Catholic ground- in Courte-nay-street, tne remains of the bod'eslnterred have been removed to tht nui cemetery, and tne Sands dis: posed of. There w'ere, too, soldiers : cemeteries in different loca.iiies, fa lei. soldiers graves being marked at Wa,itara, at Warea. At Waitara, the rest-ing-place of fifty m e n 0 f giment was allowed to fall into a disgraceful state of neglect, but now the authorities there have taken the matlui Up ' ? grant has been obtained, and llio so'.dieie' cemetery « to be fenced and put in order Some five years ago Mr Skinner and otliers got m communication with the government in tne matter of moyiip all the remains of the men who fell ij the war to the Henui cemetery. Tht Health Department was approached, and there was nothing to prevent the schemo bel.ng put into execution but 'he want 0 l runds. The membra loi tno district was unable t 0 get fiiiancia assistance from the Government, and the matter had to be dropped. . Several speakers considered it a disgrace to the community that these' sacred places should bo so neglected, and »hat the graves of the locai heroes shoudl sti.l be scattered far-and tf.de, unkempt and uncared for. afier a lapse or forty years, and Mr Sam Hi'.i moved that the New Plymouth Borough Council be asked to take actron with reference to the Courtenay-street cem etery. He con Sidered its condition a disgrace to the. town, a menace to the town, a-- d a 1 1lit cton on the people. Moreover, the land should be disposed of instead of remaining i u its piesent state, reof the to ™ *j

n.^ r Goodacre seconded, but thought that as the removal of the bodes .wou' d enable the purpose of the ground to be changed, to the advantage of the Church, that bojy, and not the borough, should bear the expense.

. Mayor said the resolution, if pasßed, would be inoperative, as the A U i nC r- lla , d 110 P° w °r in the matter. Mr Goodacre then suggested tha' reporters be asked not to publish any f-V the remarks ma de, and that the matter be left to the committee appointed is connection with the sold jers memorial.

This course did not appeal to the meeting, but nothing further ' W as done in th« matter.