Domain Board.

Patea Mail, 7 May 1881, Page 3

Domain Board.

The monthly meeting of the Patea Domain Board was held on Thursday. Present : Messrs Taplin (in the chair), Dale, Sherwood, and Dixon. The County Council cilice had been fixed as the place of meeting, the Town Board office not being available. It was found, however, that notice of the change had not been duly given, and to make the meeting legal it was agreed to repair to the Town Board office, and there resolve to adjourn to the Council office. This was done. BYE-LAWS. The minutes of the adjourned special meeting were confirmed, except that those referring to bye-laws were expunged, that business having been irregular through oversight as to the prescribed mode of convening a special meeting, Two replies lo letters ordered at that meeting were also irregular, but were now dealt with in proper routine. Mr Dale moved “ That the following be the bye-laws of the Board.” The bye-laws were those prepared at the special meeting, and wore now legalised by being formally passed. There was no discussion. It was also resolved, on the motion of Mr Dale, that the Chairman ascertain whether it is necessary to forward the bye-laws to the Governor for approval, and to act accordingly. The bye-laws are to be placed at the entrance to the Domain. DOMAIN LEASES. A letter from the Crown Lands office informed the Chairman,in reply to enquiry, that “ Portions of the Domain can be let on lease, but the whole of the revenue derived therefrom must be expended on improvements of the whole Domain. Will you be good enough to submit for consideration draft conditions of lease. In regard to charging fees, you will find, on reference to section 11 of the Public Reserves Act, 1877, that the public cannot be denied free access lo recreation grounds. A portion of the reserve might, however, be set aside exclusively for cricket, under the powers delegated to the Board under section 3 of the Public Domains Act, 1860.” Mr Sherwood proposed that a draft of the terms of lease for portions of the Domain be prepared and presented at a special meeting next Wednesday. He said the land available should be divided into paddocks for leasing as speedily as possible, to utilise the funds for treeplanting, which should be almost the exclusive function of the Board. He had advocated tree-planting for some years past. Those who indulge in athletic games should be at the cost of keeping their ground in order. The Chairman seconded the motion, and it was carried. TREE PLANTING. Mr Sherwood moved that information be collected as to the terms on which trees can be procured. It was suggested that Nelson and New Plymouth trees would be more likely lo thrive here than those from richer soils ; and the motion was agreed to. CRICKET PITCH. Mr Dale proposed that the Patea Cricket Club be allowed the use of the cricket pitch on which they have expended

certain funds. He said a club that has spent money 7 in preparing ground deserves consideration. Mr Dixon seconded. Mr Sherwood proposed as an amendment “ That the granting of an exclusive right to any club being contra'}' to the Act, the same be not granted.” The amendment was not seconded. Mi' Dale’s motion was carried on division, Mr Sherwood voting against. FOOTBALL CLUB. A letter from Mr Pringle, sec: clary .to the Patea Football Glnh, ‘ 7 regretted to have to point out (I) that making the boundary line ten yards north of the cricket pitcii leaves the length 100 short ; (2) that, the proviso (as to priority of using football ground on a particular day) would necessitate constant applications for the use of (lie ground, and even then there would be no certainty of the Football Club getting possession of ii when required, I would point out to the Board that apparently 7 the cricket pilch is to be protected exclusively for the use of the Cricket Club, while tho goal posts and other plant of the Football Club, erected at the expense of the members, arc (o be public property 7 .” Mr Dale proposed the same motion as passed at the special meeting, allotting a portion of the ground to the Football Club, to be not less than 10 feet from tho cricket pitch. The Act gave power to allot portions of the ground for particular games, and if the ground were not large enough for more than one club to play, it might be necessary for the Board to allow one club to use the ground on certain days. Unless the Board regulated the use of the ground, there would he parties playing all over it, or half a dozen clubs would be playing at once, and a row would ensue. Mr Dixon seconded the motion. Mr Sherwood ; Yon are trying to pass a resolution that you will never hear (he last of. The right given here is different from the rigid given to the Cricket Club. Who are the Cricket Club that they should be treated differently by having an exclusive right, ? Chairman : Cricketers can play only on a level piece of: ground, hut. footballers can play on rough ground or on a road. Mr Sherwood : You are giving an exclusive right by alloling portions to particular chibs.

Chairman : Can you surest how the Football Club should be worked ? Mr Sherwood : No, I can suggest nothing. I shall enter my protest in the shape of an amendment. I don’t sec why 1 should sit here and vote lor illegal actions. 1 asked you to show me authority for allotting a piece of ground to a particular club, and you cannot give it. Chairman : The Aet says wc can allot the ground for different games, and this is what we are doing. The motion was canned, Mr Sherwood dissenting. He then left the room. Mr Dale then proposed that the letter from the Football Club lie on the table. Agreed to. DEFYING THE BOA HD. A legal opinion had been obtained to the effect that any person having committed any of the offences mentioned in section 0 of the Domains Act, 18G0, would be liable to be fined at any time after the Board had been gazetted, without reference to bye-laws. The Board was also advised to forward bye-laws for the Governor’s sanction, the statute not being dear on that point. Chairman : What about the playing on Good Friday, contrary to public notice ? Mr Dale : 1 think we should deal with that at a fuller meeting. The Board adjourned. Victorian Census. —The Victorian census returns, taken on the night of 3rd April, gives the population of Melbourne and its environs as 252,000, Sandhurst 35.000, Ballarat 43,000, and Geelong 13.000. in order not to desecrate the Sunday steamers are not allowed to “ whistle ” when leaving Wellington on that day. Some people have lost their passage in consequence. At the battle of Marwand the trumpeter of the E-B Battery, a mere boy of fifteen' years of age, who, on seeing things come to a crisis and the guns in imminent danger of being captured by the enemy’s cavalry, gallantly rode up of his own accord to General Nuttall and besought that officer to do something with the Native Cavalry to save the guns. The General, it is stated, replied, “My lad, I’ll do my best.” The boy thereupon placing himself at the head of the cavalry, charged the encmjq and came out of the fight with his sword covered with blood.