IS THERE SHIRKING IN MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 7

IS THERE SHIRKING IN MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Sir,—Kindly permit me to ask tho numerous- readers of your intluential journal to help to break the deadly grip of tho infamous anti-patriotic policy of shirk that seems to have fastened upon tho management of our Municipal l'ublio Libraries and Museum. Why must we wait until tho awful war in which our ■ Empire is involved is terminated before the request of the Trades and Labour Council ho granted, and common senso be applied to the management of public institutions that just now, when.young men are brought to our • City in abnormally largo numbers ,should bo maintained or raised to the highest degree of utility that is practicable? Thousands of young men have visited the Zoo, and enjoyed their visit. I have met there some members of soma of the best families in New Zealand. The Zoo is open every day, and at all reasonable hours. In tho Zoo there are about a thousand animals exhibited. In the management of the Zoo patriotism shines, inviting young troopers to visit tho Zoo, and offering the_ of tho curator to' render their visit interesting, enjoyable, and educative. But in a young Zoo thero is no large building for the exhibition of small and delicate, though beautiful, animals that visitors to the Zoo might go to Bee in wet weather, nor can a Zoo for the exhibition of live be kept open during evenings. Thero* are, however, not far from the Zoo, commodious rooms, which a few years ago were provided by our municipality, at a groat cost, end, in those there is a very valuable collection of more than four thousand items, most of tliein very interesting natural history illustrations, comprising representations of several of the most interesting species of animals in the world. Many of tho exhibits wero collected at a great cost, and presented to tho City by a generous-heart-ed public-spirited, citizen. Four or fivo years ago, when tho Museum had been two or three years in existence, jjid, under proper management, was proving its utility, tho City Council added a collection of about a thousand exhibits, mostly New Zealand birds. At other times collections of exhibits havo been purchased in Australia, Africa, and America. To-day every institution that can bo used to attract tlio attention, elevate the minds, givo the recreation of a change of studies, and afford a meeting-place for respectable young men, brought together by ono of the most awful events in the' cxistcnce oF tho world, should bo raised to . the highest nossible condition of utility and attractiveness. But what do,wo learn? That When Ills Excellency tho Governor and Lady Liverpool, the Government of the Dominion, His Worship tho Mayor and the Lady Mayoress, Councillor Frost, and some worthy coadjutors, and many other citizens are working, nobly anil wortlrily, in efforts to promote the wclfaro of onr young men, the very valuable municipal museum is, under a policy or shirk, kept closed on all except nine hours a week, and these the nine during which, weather permitting, peoplo want to be in the open air. Now I do not expect our municipal authorities to .ict the part of a church,

I or of a- Moral Bcforra Association, or ot a Temperance Society, nor do 1 know | who is or nro responsible for tlic policy I cg/ulcimi, but 1 do eay that at such a limo as the present the affairs of tho City should bo administered" oil broad lines of sanity and liberality, such as every class of deccnt citizens ivould approve. In this letter I do not decry Ejport, or touch the management ol -picture shows or other places of amusement, or raiso any question about the management of hotels, but I do -say that wheat an Inspector "of Police has saw of a. houso in tliis City, "Soldiers wero decoyed into the house and made drunk, and many a brave lad who was to go to the front has been ruined," I have a light to expect the help of every decentpatriot in this City to smash the infamous policy of shirk that shuts up decent places of attraction to prevent young men from wasting their hours of leisure in hidden dons, where are sown ! tho seeds of incurable physical diseaso antl moral death. I liave kept quiet as long as practicable; I must jiow let out at any cost. As a personal offer that I made to tho City Council might be misunderstood and prove a hindrance, it is for ever withdrawn. Now lot every person help to smash tho policy of shirk. —I am, etc., .JOHN CREWES.