ARBOUR DAY AND THE ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1491, 13 July 1912, Page 9

ARBOUR DAY AND THE ZOO.

(To tho Editor.) . . / Sir,—Kindly allow mo to ask tho readers ot your influential journal to help to,further tho effort that is being made to beautify our city. You know that: 'as president of tho Wellington Zoological So«oty, I give special attention to Newtown ■J. ark, but this is'because I believe that by cOiiccntrating- most of my energy upon ouo part,'l can do in orb for the city aa a whole.than I could by dissipating my forces over all" tho parts I am interested in. Now, a great many of our fellow citizens do .not know what is implied in maintaining nml improving tho-'Wei-liiiglon Zoological Gardens; I therefore risk you to allow mo to offer a few facts for their consideration. , Tho JCI9OO voted iroin tho city rates to the Wellington 4po for the current.year must, with the nut of small sales and exchanges of animals, fees for riding on the camel and tho donkeys, and voluntary contributions lrom public-spirited citizens nnd societies, accomplish five- objects— • (1) Maintain'and improve as a ptiblio pleasure ground,--a large reserve which runs the whole length, of one side of Newtown Park. . , . . : (2) Maiutain, improve, and increase* the accommodation for tho growing, interesting, and educative Zoo established in'the Zoological Garden. • (3) Provide sufficient snitablo food and medicine for more thnn 500 animals. " ' , (*) Pny for the oversight, of the grounds', the leediii? of the animals, and the keeping of all the cages, pens, houses, grounds, and pools sanitary,, and, as far "as possible, lreo lroui olleiisive.smells. (5) The purchasing and bringing from many parts of the world, some of them at a great distance- from hero, animals-of intrinsic, historic, or' amusing interest, commensurate with the cost of obtaining and keeping them. ," , One of the animals in our Zoo'wafe born in' Africa, Rome were captured at Vam couve'r,-sonic were trained in .Hazenbacli's grent emporium in Germany, sonic wtt'e brought from China, one of them survived shipwreck on the ,way over, .several were sent from England, several were reared iii, Australia. Now we iire .expecting'animals from Perth,, Melbourne, Sydney.;and India, ami'if we get ono of 'Amundsen's dogs, wp.shall,pet froni.Huenos Avres a dog that, when it arrives here, will Have miulo.for.himself, a history, su'cli'.ns.' no other dog .has ever had.. : . . - ' . In reply, to-people- who- think- 'that .£I9OO . per year :is a large vote, and to Mime .person who has ."suggested that the men. permanently < .employed :it the Zoo hare a rosy time.'.' (Mr. Crowes described i.i detail tho very large amount of hard and, continuous, work which the upkeep of a zoo such , as that at-Ncwtown Park entails, and points out .-lh«t a' vigilant watch- must also bo kept and important works-must bo pushed• ou- nil day-and every .day, Sundays and sill other liuliduya included; /Ho then proceds): :\Vl*en all these tilings nre ' taken into consideration,' it will bo seen tlint the■- city, gets- good returns for its', gi'ant te. the Zoo. But .few. men in the city work -harder than tho curator of the. Zoo "does, and- Hie' men'hssociuled with" him. : <lO'lio't:eat'.any ~f Hie i.u-ad'of idleness.;- Therp are several zoos in Amer. icf.' One or 1 two of them nre very" large,' but, at:Wa*hhigton, tho,capital; there is &■• great- tree national zoological grant. the, grants by which that .Zoo is sustained amount to more than ten times tho amount,' voted for our Zoo, although tHcro are. no{ .nearly three times as many animals inithe Washington collection that theroaW. in ours. But'if our/Zoological Garden is to be worthy of our city, eitizeiis -'must .supplement with* private -gifts t'j.o'. muiiieipal vote... Several have already ocntributqd-towards: the purchase o'f clioice aiiinials.... Now, I ask any< ipereon ■ who lias a. half-crown' to, sqiaro to seiid on , give .it. to Mr. Oastle, chemist, Eiddiford Street, Ncvrtowii,.or-,myself,.that woanny the;cnrator of the Zoo' grouiule eom'echoico rhododemlrona to Iμ planted on Arbor Day. Already we have 17s.'6d. Wo want £1 or £1 10s. . more. Every donor , must please get a, receipt signed by :Jlr. Castle,-lium,' etc.; . .■ ■■■;,-/■.■■■■ ~ .-;: \.: I J JOHN CRI3WES, - V ■ President of tho Wellington Zoological Society. '-.'■ fortq...