MAORI WAR MEMORIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 71, 20 April 1909, Page 4

MAORI WAR MEMORIAL.

TUE UNVEILING CEHEMONY. A meeting of the Maryland Hill Memorial Committee, was held in the Council Chambers on Saturday afternoon, Mr. S. Percy Smith presiding. The chairman stated that he had written to his Excellency the Governor aeking him to unveil the monument during his forthcoming visit to New Plymouth, lie liad also suggested to his Excellency that as the monument was, he understood, the first erected in the Dominion on which the part I taken the Navy in the Maori wars had 'been commemorated, the presence of a naval officer at the ceremony i .might lie desirable, if the presence nt a warship in the port could not be secured. To this invitation the chairman had received a reply from his Exceleney'e aide-de-camp, which stated that his Excellency /would be pleased to iraveil the ceremony, if a date between -May 5 and 7 would suit. Lord Plunket would leave New Plymouth on the morning of May 8. His Excellency did not know yet whether there would lie. any warship ra New Zealand waters at the time, but he would bear Mr. Smith's suggestion in. mind. Continuing, the chairman stated that lie had tried In fix the ceremony fer Thursday. May (i. Iml he had been informed that Friday. May 7. would probable suit the Governor better, a* his Excellency would I hen be free from his Masonic duties. Owing to Lord l'liinket's absence in the North, Mr. Smith ■had not yet received any definite information as to which date would suit his Excellency better. The decision of the date had, of course, to he left hi Lord Plunket's hands. The chairman expected to have more information within a few davs.

Colonel Ellis was appointed to act as marshal at the unveiling ceremony, with power to appoint assistants.

A sub-committee, consisting of the chairman. Colonels .-.His anil Okcv. is. 'Dockrill, anil the secretary (Mr. W. Gordon) was appointed to arrange the details of the ceremonv.

F. G. Evans be requested to prepare and deliver a dedicatory address after the unveiling of the memorial by the Governor.

In answer tq -Mr. W. H. Skinner, the chairman stated that he knew nothing ollicially regarding the four names of prime movers in the memorial movement, to be placed on the memorial, to which exception had been taken bv correspondents to the local press. He knew nothing of tile objections beyond what he had seen in the press. As the matter had not been brought before the meeting properly it could not be discussed.

■Mr. W. If. Skinnor referred to some remarks made in the Taranaki Herald regarding the number of warships named on the memorial. Lists of ships that took part in the war had been prepared .by the chairman, bv Mr Gordon, and by himself. Whvrc'anv doubt existed, the authorities had been carefully consulted. All the vessels mentioned had taken part more or less in the war, although sonic had not actually been under fire. The chairman remarked that many people seemed to forget that there was more than one war in the colony. There had been three. The memorial commemorated those who took part in all of these. In 1845 there were seven or eight -war vessels here alone.