DOMAIN BOARD.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 358, 10 April 1889, Page 2

DOMAIN BOARD.

Tun ordinary mnntlily meeting of the Te Aroha Hot Sptiugs Domain Board was belli on Saturday evening last. Present— Messrs Gavin (chairman), Ilott, Lipsey, and Ahier. Minuter : The minutes of the previous m°cting wpi'P read and con finned. Conespondence : A letter w.-v* vend from the Audit. Deput m i nt re the nii'lit of the Boird's accounts for 1888. A telegram was also subsequent' v received From the same Di-pirtiuent stating the accounts had been jji?sed by the Auditor, and the books leturned t> the Board. The Auditor in his letter drew Uie aitent'on of the Clerk t> the necessity of the Chairman passing aivl si'ininy the different vouchers, both with respect io receipts nn.l expenditure, requested that the different item? ofeKpenditnre.be properly allocated in future under separate headings, and complained of the lavge sum that appeared under the heading of "Miscellaneous" expenditure, amounting to quite a lav. c proportion of the tjtal expenditure. The Chairman said t'latsomebouedust was required for tho plants and bulbs, presented to the Board some time back by Mr and Mrs J. C. Fiith, and he had given the caretaker instructions to obtain what was required. Accounts : The following accounts were passed for payment: Adam Laybourne and Co., 17s ; C. Ahier, £-i 7s lid ; Wailcato Times, £2 14s ; M. Hotehin, 2s ; T. Wood, (5s 2.1 ; A. W. Edwards, 9s -d.il ; W. A. Prime and Co., £13 15s Id ; .T. McKce, £7 10s ; J. Stanley, £6 15 ; A. Menses, £1 10s. Mr Ilott, said ho had been unable to bo present at the two previous monthly meetings of the. Board, and asked the Chairman if tho annual report had been sent to the Hon. Minister of Lands this | year, ns he ha 1 seen no copy of ifc, or reference made to it in the minutes. I The Chairman said no Report had been j soiifc, and gave as a reason that at the end t of last year tho Board were all Gazetted j out of office, and elected again, and he I did not think it was necessary to send an [ annual report, in fact ho never thought anything more about the report. Mr Holt : I believe it has been customary for the Board to furnish an Annual Report during past years, has it not? Chairman : The Report has been sent every year up to last year, when no Report was sent, and I don't think the Act says anything about rfn v annual report being sent, only a Statement, and I think that it was only done as a matter

of courtesy to the Minister. Had it been necessary that the Report should have ! been senfc, I should think they would have asked for it before now. Ifc was stated a cheque for £l 6s Gd had been received from the T e Aroha ' Mineral Water Co., for < overflow. 5 i In reply to Mr llott the Clerk stated this amount wa3 for a period of six months, but he could not say what quantity of water had been taken. He ! had no vouchers showing quantities taken and dales. There was no separate account kept open for the Company. - Mr llott asked whether Dr Macgregor (Government Inspector), had ma le nny complaint as to the wny in which the closets in the Domain were kept, on the occasion of Irs recent visit of inspection. The Chairman stated so far he was aware Dr Macgregor made no complaint. He came to the Domain office one morning- and asked the caretaker Who was in charge of the Dorrtnin, etc., and McKee replied that he was. Dr Macgregor then told him he wished to have a look round the Baths. After inspecting th<>m lie said they were fairly clean and well kept, but that he could not pass the closets. The Chapman said from the way in which Dr Macgregor came he did not look upon it as an official visit. Mr llott : The reason I put the question was to learn exactly what took place, and to enquire if anything Dr Macgregor complained of had been put right. Tho Chairman : He made no official complaint that I know of. Mr Lipsey : Surely if D r Macgregor came on an official visit we ought to have been informed he was coming beforehand, and been ready to receive him and show him round the Domain in a proper manner. What right has Dr Macgregor, or any other man to come here as a private spy or detective to see what we are doing ? What right has Dr Macgregor coming here asking who's in charge? I maintain the man has no authority at all. We are gazetted as members of the Board, and^ surely he ought to know where to go for information, instead of coming here as a private detective or spy, and asking " who's in charge ?" If he is authorised why does he not show his authority? The Chairman : I presume it ia for the reason that if we had anything to conceal, and were aware of his coming, | we might try and hide it from him. Still I i consider it a mark of great discourtesy to the Board for Govt. to send a man on a tour ot inspection without giving notice Jof the intended visit to the members of tho Board. Mr Lipsey : If any man com?s hero to inspect the Baths let him show his authoi ity. Mr llott : Do yon suppose Mr Lipsey that whpn Government send men to inspect institutions un.ler their control they must give notice of their intention*; or ask permission to inspect. Surely you do not look upon the Domain as belonging to the members of the Board. It is under the control of Govern ment^Tio have expended some £2000 of public money in developing the springs, etc., an-1 I fail te see witli yon that .my discourtesy has been shown the Board. Dr Macgregor, or any other Government official so directed, has surely every right to go thiough and examine the Domain and Bath houses at any Hrnp, without previously communicating with the Board as to when ho will arrive The Government Inspector would naturally wish to ; inspect the Domain, etc., as ordinarily I kept, and therefore see no necessity for i announcing his visit beforehand ; unless lie thought fit to do so. The Chairman : If this is Dr Maegregoi on a tour of inspection I suppose we shall hear more of it. After some further discussion on this subject the m'lttor dropped. Mr Lipsey stitedwhen lately at the T.iames he had a talk with the Hon the Native Minister, re thecompletian of the purchase of foity acres for Domain extension, anil Mr Mitchelson promised to do all he could to assist in the matter. The Chairman said that as the Native I Minister was coming as far as Paeroa [ to attend the Land Court there, he I thought the Board ought to send him an invitation to visit the baths. Resolved that the Hon. the Native Minister be invited by the Hot Springs Domain Board to visit Te Aroha. It was resolved on the motion of the Chairman that Mr Lipsey be requested to interview the Native Minister re the Domain extension, and to get the deed I between Government and the Natives completed as soon as possible.

The following statement of receipts and expenditure for the previous month ending April 6fcb, was submitted :—: —