WHAKATANE DOMAIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 14, 12 October 1945, Page 5

WHAKATANE DOMAIN

COUNCILLORS TRENCHANT

CRITICISM

A STANDING DISGRACE

When the Borough Council last Monday evening was considering the question of making its usual donation of £100 to the Domain Cr Creeke voiced a strongly worded protest on the grounds thai the Board was failing in its .control and instruction of its employees. The Domain in its present state, he described as a standing disgrace and he failed to see the strength of making a grant from the ratepayers money unless better value was forthcoming. "

Cr Creeke related how he had himself cut and top-dressed the croquet greens and cleared the grass away from the avenue of flowering, cherry trees which had last year been do<nated by Mrs Appleby. He had been amazed to hear later that the Board was paying a permanent man to do such work and wanted therefore to know what he was doing. He. noted that by its balance sheet the Board had paid £158 in wage®. From his observations the grounds had never been touched.

Cr Shapley said that the greatest difficulty had been experienced in getting suitable labour. However he anticipated with labour becoming easier more satisfactory service would be given.

Cr Canning considered that the whole domain would be: better under direct control of the Borough Council. He was certain that with the existing staff the recreation areas could be handled much more .satisfactorily.

The Mayor warned that very full consideration would have to be given to such a proposal. It would be quite easy to be committed to a cost of £.">OO annually and also the creation of a Parks staff. He thought it better to get the sports bodies interested and rather favour, ed the move to initiate the idea of developing the grounds along the lines of a War Memorial Park which he understood Avas favoured by the sports organisations.

Cr Creeke again spoke against the grant being made stating that the Board Avas neglecting its job in not having the bandstand Avhicli was falling to pieces repainted, and the s.eats which were rotting repaired. The Council decidcd to make the usual grant irrespective of his critieism.