DOMAIN BOARD.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 314, 7 November 1888, Page 2

DOMAIN BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Te Aroba Hot Springs Domain Board was held on last Saturday evening. Present-Messrs Gavin (chairman), Ilott, and Ahier, Minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Correspondence: From the Crown Lands Department, forwarding copies of the following Acts :—(1) The Public Domains Act, 1881 ; (2) The Land Act and Amendment Act; (3) The Thermal Springs Districts Act, 1881, Do. 1883. From J. W. Haddock, of Wanganui, asking the Board to assist him by granting him the use of the baths free of charge for a time, having been out of employment for the past ten months owing to ill-health. Resolved that the request be acceded to in the meantime; applicant to procure a certificate from the medical man who attended him at Wanganui in support of his statement. From Campbell and Cook, contractors for lawn extension work now being carried out in the Domain, as follows :—: — Te Aiohu, Nov. 3rd, 1888. To the Domain Board, Te Arohci. Gentlemen, — There will doubtless come before yon to-night an order issued by us for payment of a small amount for sand required for the new road under construction. We feel it incumbent on us to recoid our opinion that a more paltry thing could hardly be found in any municipal transactions of any community \u this Colony, than for a Town Council to charge for a trifling quantity of sand, required by a sioter body like yotns, for effecting improvements conducing to the geneial attractions of thd town. In addition to the foiegoing we may just mention, en passant, that after two loads had been deliveied the supply was stopped by the Chairman of the Town Council, who peremptorily demanded payment in advance, alleging- that h\uh were the orders of his fellow Councillors. In exoneration of them, we beg to recoid that their verbal consent to grunting the favour was readily accorded before the written application was placed in the Chairman's hands. In loference to the work, we would be glad oi the oppoitunity of pointing out ceitain things we think it worth your while to see to without delay ; and are Gentlemen, Your obedient Servants, •>" ' .

Campbell and Cook, Contractors. The Chairman said Campbell came to him that morning, and asked him to endorse an order for £1; and made a statement to him as to the manner in which he had been treated by the Chairman of the Town Board, which, if correct, he certainly thought he had been treated very harshly. He could not see why the Board should try and charge for a few paltry loads of sand to be used in the Domain, seeing the Town Board had not to pay anything for the sand themselves ; the gravel pit having been granted to the late Town Board on their application, for general use of the town district. He certainly thought the Town Board should not try to charge for sand to be used in the Domain, or to any man in the township who desired to improve his footpath ; but of course the Domain Board could not interfere in this matter. Mr Uott remarked he had no doubt the Crown Lands Department would just as readily grant a small area of ground for gravel pit purposes to the Domain Board, as they had to the Town Board for use within the Town District, and thought it would be advisable for them to make application for such if the Town Board were going to charge them for gravel required. After some further discussion it was resolved to leave the matter in the hands of the Chairman to make further enquiry, and if there was any likelihood of gravel required for the Domain being charged for, that application be at once made to the Crown Lands Department for a gravel pit. The receipts for the past month were stated to be £29, the balance to the Board's credit at Bank, after payment of accounts furnished, being £75 11s Id. Accounts to the extent of £14 10s were presented and passed for payment. Library : The Clerk laid on the table a plan for library and reading room, prepared by Mr F. Pavitt ; the matter was not, however, gone into at any length, it being deemed desirable to first obtain some further particulars. Overflow : The Clerk was instructed to request payment of the amount due for quarter ending September 30th, by the Te Aroha Mineral Water Company for oveiflow.