The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1887. THE DOMAIN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1504, 11 March 1887, Page 2

The Ashburaton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1887. THE DOMAIN.

A letter from Mr James Tasker, which appears m this issue, sets forth that with a view to providing the very desirable convenience for visitors to the Domain of suitable seats whereon to rest themselves, he started a subscription list and instituted a canvass with the result that close on was subscribed m small sums by fifty-three persons. On waiting upon others m the hope of making up the balance— his object being to provide a dozen seats, estimated to cost £7 — he was met with

a refusal to subscrbe on the ground that if the seats were provided m this way, it would 'be doing a work which a public body ought to perform, and thereupon Mr Tasker was discouraged, and abandoned, as we understand, his well-meant, and really very desirable scheme. He now writes to us to enquire to what public body he is to look to get the work carried out. Obviously the Domain Board is the body referred to by the objectors, but that body (says Mr Tasker) has no funds for the purpose-— nay, as we understand him to say, no funds, at all. Well if this be the case, clearly it its no use waiting for the Domain Board to provide the seats, for ex nihilo nihilfit, and we hope that Mr Tasker will take no notice of the discouragement which he, has met with but will resume his efforts, and we feel sure that he will not have to go far before raising the small balance required to carry out the very useful object to which he has already devoted so much pains, and for the accomplishment of which he will deserve and receive the hearty thanks of the citizens. But this little episode serves to bring up again the question which was agitated some years ago as to the desirableness of altering the management of the Domain. At present the controlling body is a Domain Board appointed by the Governor, one of those members has, we think, ceased to reside m the district and others of whom are country residents. In our opinion the proper body to administer the Domain would be the Borough Council, and we notice that wherever possible the Government are constituting Borough and County Councils the Trustees of Domains within their respective boundaries, and hence there will be no difficulty m that quarter. For example, only a few weeks ago the Knottingly Park Board at Waimate resigned m a body expressly with the view of the tranference of the administration of the Park (which is a large reserve of some 140 acres) to the Borough Council, which has accordingly been done. The only objection that we have ever heard to a similar tranference m the Ashburton case is a fear that the Borough Council would let the frontage for building purposes, but that fear is a wholly unfounded one, as no leases for such purposes could be given except with the consent of the Governor m Council, which consent it is certain would be unobtainable. We would, thersfore, suggest the advisableness of the citizens overturing to the Domain Board their wish that the Domain should be administered by their elected representatives, the Borough Council, and if that be done by way of a numerouslysigned memorial, we have no doubt the members of the Board would accede to the public wish and place their resignations m the hand 6 of His Excellency with a view to the transfer of the trust of the municipal authorities.