COUNCIL AND CHAUTAUQUA.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 605, 4 February 1921, Page 4

COUNCIL AND CHAUTAUQUA.

QUESTION OF GROUND RENT. SOME EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION. The merits and demerits of Chautauqua were freely discussed at the Borough Council meet mg on Wednesday evening. It appears that the Council charged the Chautauqua Committee a license fee of £5 and also a ground rent of the same amount and these charges were protested against by the committee,

Mr. F. Perkins attended the meeting on another matter, and as he had written to the Council on the subject, he asked permission to briefly put his side of the case.

The Mayor granted the permission and Mr Perkins claimed that the charge against the Chautauqua Committee was unfair as the enterprise was of an educational character.

His Worship: What you want is for us to forego the license fee and the ground rent. Mr."'Perkins: Well, I have made inquiries and I cannot find a single ether town in the Dominion which has made these charges on their Chautauqua Committees. It was not the Chautauqua people w*ho were being penalised but the local citizens who had guaranteed a certain amount to induce Chautauqua to visit the town.

Mr. Perkins then .said he would leave the matter in the hands of the Council and he would retire

Cr. Daysh said the guarantors were only a small minority of the ratepayers and signed the guarantee with their eyes open and knowing the consequences. He was not in favour of reducing* the Council’s charges, Cr. Bilkey proposed a motion that the Councicl should forego the ground rent fee of £5. This was seconded.

An amendment was promptly moved by Cr, Daysh to the effect that the full amount be charged. Seconded by Cr. McGough. Cr. Hamilton thought that credit should be given to the Chautauqua Committee acting in good faith, as they felt the entertainments possessed an educative value. He felt that they should forego the whole amount. Cr. Armstrong said he believed there was an educational element in Chautauqua and he for one had signed up as a guarantor for -next year (Laughter). Continuing, Cr Armstrong said that regarding the Chautauqua tent being erected on the Town Hall site, he considered it was a good advertisement and he had heard complimentary remarks passed

on the site. He was certainly of opinion that they should not charge for the ground.

The Mayor said he was prepared to support the motion and forego the ground rent. On the amendment being put to the meeting only two supported it — Crs. Daysh and McGough. The motion was then put and carried with two dissentients.

The Chautauqua Committee is relieved to the extent of £5.