AN HISTORIC SPOT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 46, 13 February 1908, Page 3

AN HISTORIC SPOT.

XAiTOXAL MONTMENT AXD I BURIAL SITE. I SI"G<;ESTED LSI-; \-\>n .MAKSL UJJ . j HILL. i As the outcome of two mallei, i.|" I hi.-toiii.-iil association Tirou-dil before the ! Hon. Air. JlcXab last night l-v a s',rou» deputation intrudueed hv Mr. Okey" M.l'., there is more than' a i,o>si!,iiil'v of -Mainland Hill k-iiig pui ,„ a , l? ',. tliat will make il not onlv i i the main landmarks of the distViet, hut also its most sacred. It is wcliknown that the Hon. gent I an is a warm champion in the eause of preserving, wherever possible, th e records and historic spots associated with early Xew Zealand, and ! the sympathetic reception accorded the ■ deputation was in keeping with anticij pations. Mr. Okey introduced the de- | nutation, and, with Mr. Dockrill. ex plained the position, as outlined by lis [■yesterday', and requesting tint .Marsland Hill he handed over to the town as a borough reserve, in accord nice with a promise now some years old. Tin- forthcoming erection of the Marsland Hill inqniorial was emphasised, and it was

urged tint in the hands of the people the spot could lie beatttilied and pieserved in befitting manner. Another matter brought before the Minister, and which, through a happy suggestion from the Minister, was included in his reply. was the question of the care of soldiers' I

grave.-, which at present are scattered uliout the town and district, many of them being in different puts of the Ileum cemetery. It will he remembered that the liovemnient now votes a sum annually for the upkeep of these graves, but owing to their widely-scat-tered nature in Taranaki, the funds are wholly inadequate to do the work thor-

oughly. The deputation therefore asked that means be provided to remove the bodies from their scattered and intended graves, and a common resting place found for Taranaki's heroes in the Henui cemetery.

The Minister, in reply, said that after his inspection of the ground, and listening to the views of the deputation, he could only carry away a very clear idea of the position. On principal, he could not endorse that anything had been promised by a former Minister, ana what he would say now was not admitting that anything had ever been promised. With regard to the reserve as a whole, he would make enquiries from the Defence and Police Departments, each of which exercised a measure of icontrol over the area. He did not approach the use of the ground as a recreation grouud with any hostility at all, but he was decided averse to any of it being used Tor money-making purposes. The beauty of the spot would lie very largely lost if the boundary were not carried right out to Robe street, and he could not emphasise it strongly enough that the hill's beauty would be gone if they allowed any commercial spirit to dictate the use of a portion of the frontage. (The Minister was referring to the request made previously that the portion facing Robe street should be handed over to the borough for municipal building sites). The pound should be got rid of, as it was not a very appropriate neighbor for a national memorial. After all the departmental reports have been received, the question would be decided, and he could -say that so far nothing hostile had been received in any of the reports. He would look further into the question of the former offer alleged to have been made. Speaking on the matter of the soldiers' graves, the Minister said it would be an excellent idea to bury the bodies on Marsland Hill, instead of the cemetery, and was met with a chorus ol approval. Some people, he said, would probably be averse to the idea of burial elsewhere than in the cemetery, but it sliould be remembered that Britain's heroes rarely found a resting place in cemeteries. He would give the whole question thorough consideration, and give definite replies as early as possible. Captain Davies having thanked the Minister for the assistance already given the Marsland Hill memorial by the Government and commended the idea of a national burial ground, Mr. Okey and Mr. Dockrill thanked Mr. McNab' for his reception of the requests, and the deputation withdrew.