THE COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 2

THE COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

DISPUTED GRANT. Its Finance Committee reported to the City Council hist evening that a deputntion from the New Zealand Competitions .Society hud wailed upon it and asked that the council should increase its* grant of X3O voted in connection with the competitions held by the society Inst year. The committee recommended that the request should not. he acceded to, but that the council should make a grant of £50 townrds the competitions to be held at the latter end of this year. Councillor Fitzgerald said that he understood that a deputation had waited upon the Finance..Committee and asked for a donation of jCGO. lie moved that this sum should be granted, instead of ,£SO. The council, he said, had received some .£2GB from the society last year in ball rent. The Auckland City Council, which had received nothing at all, had donated ,£SO to its local Competitions Society. Councillor Fletcher seconded the amendment. _ * Councillor Shirteliffe opposed it, maintaining that the council had done all that it could be expected to do for the society. Last year tli« council had allowed it to have the hall at ten tier cent, less than the usual rates, in addition to' giving it a donntion of .£SO. _ , Councillor Godber said that the committee's re-commendation w-ns ample considering that the society bad cleared a profit on the last competitions. It was pointed out bv Councillor Cameron tint the Town Hall last year was not a financial success. This, he said, was n m".-ter that should be looked into. Councillor Harbor contended that Hie voting of .CM to an institution like this was illogj.l. "Immoral, suggested another councillor. Councillor Barber said that the council had no right to smiander the ifitepayers' money in llii* *■»"■•>'• ..,,., Councillor titzpernld retorted that any company takiii'.' the hall for a period was granted a rebate on Hie rent. On a division the amendment was defeated bv twelve votes to two, only Councillors Fitzgerald and Fletcher voting in its favour. ■. Councillor Fuller proposed to add. a pbra'e stating that the grant would be made in the wnv of a remission of rent, but eventually the committee's recommendation was agreed to after Councillor Atkinson had moved that the grant be reduced to JSIO. This proposal lapsed for want of a seconder. The grant is to be paid over at Hie end of the year.