ZOO CURATOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 155, 26 March 1919, Page 8

ZOO CURATOR

lIR, LANGRIDGE WITHDRAWS HIS RESIGNATION. A special meeting of Reserves Committee of the City Council, held yesterday morning, was vnited on by a deputation headed by Mr. E. C. Ludwig, who wished to lay before the committee certain views of Wellington residents on , the subject of the resignation of Mr. J. ' Langridge from the position of curator of the Wellington 700. Mr. Ludwig ' told' the committee that at a meeting qf •Newtown residents held' the previous evening to consider the matter, the opinion was strongly expressed that the -voice of the'citizens should'-be heard to prevent an act of injustice being culminated, and they 'had decided to take, a determined stand in the matter. When Mr. Le Soeuf, of the Sydney Zoo, had inspected the Wellington Zoo, ho had said that Mr. Langridge was the right man for the position of curator. They all felt thati Mr. Langridgo had been unfairly criticised, and that he had beon forced out of his 'position by private and personal attacks. _ Councillor R. A. Wright, M.P.: What is the feeling in the <iistrictf Mr. Ludwig said that although he could not consult all, he felt quite sure ■ that the majority were with Mr, Langridgs. , * ' Councillor W. J.. Thompson; Do you know of any other members of the Zoo-logical'Society,-other than Mr. Creires and Councillor Castle,'who have a Bet against the curator? ' \ Mr. Ludwig: I do not know of any. Replying to tho deputation, Councillor F-rost (chairman) said that it was very gratifying to find such k large number of residents behind' Mr. Langridge. The committee felt that the curators resignation had been forced by certain per-, sons; In regard to the little coterie in ' Wellington South ; who had raised the storm, 'he thought (hat. their numbers .were very small. He admitted that they. had done some good work in the earlier part of the- Zoo's fxlstence. Statements • had been made that the eojnnfittee had failed- in its duty in Tot giving the curator a holiday for a number of years, but that was owing to being unable to secure a suitable man to tako his place. It ■was the council's intention, however, to give the curator a fairly long holiday to visit Australia, and whilst there he

■would be'doing good work in' securing animals and making exchanges on the .•council's--•'behalf; Oouniillor Fr<sst re-

butted 'the that the health' of rcitizens was menaced by the condition of. the "Zoj." " ]At the conclusion Councillor Frost announced that, Mr. Langridge had withdrawn his, resignation.