THE RATES ON SPORTS GROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1859, 19 September 1913, Page 8

THE RATES ON SPORTS GROUNDS.

SUBJECT UP AGAIN.

NO REMISSION TO BE CHANTED,

Further attempts to secure a remission of rates on certain city sports grounds has been defeated. At last night's meeting of the council, the Finance Committeo repeated that they had considered the question, they wero not in favour of it.

Councillor Luckio moved that the council grant a remission of half tho general rates. The Reserves Committee had tho control of nearly £10,000 a year, and investigation would prove that they spent some of it very badly. Tliev spent .too much in puro gardening work. This no doubt made the town look very beautiful, and had added to the features of the Botanical Gardens; but it was not at all commensurate with tho expenditure. Something like £3000 per annum was spent on tho Botanical Gardens, but : very few people got anything out of it. Councillor M'Kenzie: Nonsense; you ought to go 'thero on Councillor Luckio added that all the reserves from which tho council got thoir revenue were being starved. Tho application for a remission of rates was based on very good grounds. They were spending £200 a year on the Museum at Newtown, and not 200 people benefited oy it. They would hot bo increasing their expenditure by making that allowance, but would merely be diverting the money for which they were no\ getting the best value to an avenue from which they would get good value. The Rugby Union required assistance from tho only body which could grant it to them, and an Act had been passed four years ago to givo the council authority to grant that relief. _ The only reason why tho council resisted that appeal ■ was because their finances would not stand it. ' Mayor on the Subject. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said that Councillor Luckie had not done justice to the question. Tho council was not financially in a position' to remit rates to sports bodies, or to other boaics. It would be suicidal to remit the rates as asked. A good deal of money had already been spent in the interests of sport this year. The Kelburne Bowling Club, for which remission was askca, had land worth £18 per foot. The land at Miramar referred to was being held for thoso who cam© after us.' The matter of Athletic Park did not agitate him in tho least. Formerly, ' tho Reserves Committee of the council made all arrangements to buy Athletic Park, and the Rugby Union went in behind tho committee and secured the ground. Councillor R. Fletcher: That is not 80. The Mayor: It ib. , Councillor Fletcher: No. I was ' a member of the committee at the time. The Mayor said that if Athletic Park was offering the council should buy it for the people of Wellington. The council had been over-spending itsmoney, chiefly on reserves. Remitting tho rates would bo popular in certain quarters, but the burden would have to be borne by tho working men. _ Councillor R. Fletcher seconded Councillor Luckio's motion.

Councillor 6. Frost stated that ho agreed with a great deal of what the Mayor had said,, but ho' thought,' with Councillor Luckie, that savings could be offected in the .Reserves Department which would- tide the corporation. over the temporary loss incurred by remitting the rates in question. As to the Athletio Park ho did: not- think that the rates should Jbe remitted until the.y came to some arrangement for placing the park on the same footing as the city reserves. .

"Wonderfu/ Mathematics." - "It is pitiable the wonderful mathematics you are treated to on these occasions," remarked Councillor A. R. Atkinson. "You are told that yoii can save £300 in one direction,-and waste it in another, and "

A councillor: And' make your fortune.

.. Councillor Atkinson said that bowls was not a poor man's game, and those who played it could afford to pay for it. Rugby was a game of poor men, as well as others, and it had such a wide appeal to tho public that huge "gates" were obtained at Athletio Park. If the union managed its affairs better the.y could save far moro than the remission they asked. They could spend less on their trips to Auckland without inconveniencing the players or decreasing the popularity of the game. As custodians for the democracy the council should not entertain the appeal for remission.

"Wo must in future keep a very strict eye on the expenditure of the Reserves Committee," commenced Councillor J. Godber.

Councillors: Hear, hear! Councillor Godber was not in favour of the amendment, but he thought that if Athletic Park was thrown open to school children through tho week some concession should be made to the union. He understood, for that matter, that the union was doing this already. Councillor T. C. A. Hislop remarked on the observations of some members oi tho Reserves Committee.

Councillor Luckie said that he had I not said that money had been wasted by the Reserves Committee. Tho Mayor: I must say that your remarks distinctly conveyed the impression that you considered that money had been wasted on the reserves. Councillor Luckie: I dispute that. Councillor Hislop: I think.now one might bo justified in saying that tho personnel, of the 'committeo might be improved, this on the admission of the members themselves. (Laughter.) Nearlng a Division. Councillor Hislop mentioned a ground at Miramar. Councillor Fuller: Eightpence return. Councillor Buddie askod how was the physique of the children of tho poorer people to bo benefited? Not by remitting tho rates of private sports clubs, but by developing and making available grounds which were open to the public generally. It was tho indulgence in tho 6port which did the good, and not the looking out, and that was the worst aspect of the Athletic Park. There was not a decent path at Rosoneath. or Wadestown, simply because tho council could not afford to make them, and yet they were asked to subsidise private sports clubs. It was a mistake to asBumo that if that application was refused all the sports .bodies would close their gates, and that there would be a:i end to all sport in Wellington. If the position of a match was altered half a milo it would not stop sport, The spirit of the British raco was not like that. Ho remembered some years ago when there was no ground in Wellington that thousands of people used to walk out to Potone, and they would do that again if necessary. Councillor Tregear remarked that ho would bo sorry to retard legitimate sport, but he objected to one particular line of sport being selected for consideration. _ ... The amendment was defeated on division by eight votes to seven, which were cast as follow: — For tho amendment: Councillors Fitzgerald, Fletcher, Frost, Fuller, Hindmarsh. Luckie, and Thomson. \gainst: The Mavor, Councillors Atkinson, Buddie, Godber, Hislop, M'Knnzio, Tregear, and Wright.