A BANKRUPT CEMETERY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 944, 11 October 1910, Page 4

A BANKRUPT CEMETERY.

BOARD THREATENS TO RESIGN;

A long-standing.{difficulty, in; the Hutt Valley is the question-of .the upkeep of the ..Taita Cemetery, the public burial ground for the district. The 'bodies interested are' the Hutt: County. Council, the .Hutt Borough Council,' and the Petone,Borough Council, but the affairs of the cemetery' are administered by a board of trustees, which appears: to have no definite source of revenue, and is: now m extreniis." ' Its financial difficulties were .disclosed ;at 'the Petone : Borough Council meeting last evening. y In' a letter to' the council, the chairman of the Board.-6f Trustees of the Taita Cemetery stated that at a recent meeting' of .the board it was decided to; ask each, of-the three local; bodies interested to make a contribution towards the board's finances. Failing ; this, .the board would 1 be unable to ; carry oh, and in that" event: would. resign- in. a. body. The present liabilities of the board totalled ' and- the funds in hand £i.

"Councillor. Short asked, for a statev ment. of-the ..position. Was the council compelled; to use the: cemetery?." -' The; Mayor said that the council had been fighting all along, in, this matter. Petone should, have a cemetery of its own." -'Any donations ;• to. the', trustees :of the' Taita Cemetery; would require to come, under unauthorised expenditure. _ Councillor, Piper said that since couhcir after council had shirked its respon-sibility-with -regard- to- the making, of .provision for a\ cemetery: for. Petone,,, the present council ; Tfas morally '.'. bound .to • contribute:', to the upkeep of ithe Taita Cemetery, there being none in Petone. He moved that'a contribution' up .to £7.. be made,to. the Taita Cemetery Board, provided'that .the other' two bodies; interested did likewise, y". :';..' ••■'■■'.'.■'. :-,;:'-- - This.was seconded and carried. . •--.,-. .Councillor Short' then.'moved iihat : a sub-committee to report npon-the question of a cemetery or Petone 'be appointed., ■Councillor.. Piper, seconded the- motion, which, was carried.;.,- :.:,': -Someone .remarked that the "Hutt Val- '. ley was too.healthy a,place,for a ceme-, .tery to' thrive oil:its earnings, and'that ithad.no'option but to look to the local authorities: interested, for its financial, support.:. . •'". .' : ;yy ■".'■ '■ ;.'::V