PUKEKURA PARK BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 379, 3 May 1910, Page 8

PUKEKURA PARK BOARD.

The annual meeting of the Pukekura Park Hoard was held last, niglit. There were present: Messrs R. Cock (cnairman), F. p. Corkill, (J. W. Govett, S. Percy-Smith, F. C. J. Bellringer, W. L. Newman, R. C. Hughes, Harris Ford, G. Tisch, E. H. Tribe (secretary) and W. V/. Smith (curator). ANNTAL REPORT. The chairman read the following report upon the year's work:— As finance is the most important factor in ihe upkeep and improvement of tlie Park, 1 propose to deal with tliis first. At the commencement of the year the bank overdraft was £BB 15s 2d'and the unpaid accounts amounted lo .till r J4< J Oil. a total of £2OO 1 os. At the close of the present year the bank overdraft stood at £I2G ISs lid, all outstanding accounts being paid. Unfortunately for the Board the Borough Council during the past year was compelled to reduce the subsidy from £2OO to £l5O. It had been confidently expected that the subbsidy would never be reduced. and the Board had embarked on expenditure relying on this. During the year the Board found it necessary t.) give their personal guarantee to the Bank for an overdraft up to £2OO. I think it is very hard that members ot the Board should be called upon to give such a guarantee. The Park belongs to the people for their enjoyment, and they should come forward and help the Board financially. It will be noted that the donations amount to £BO 10s 3d, inimling an amount of £SO from the Hon. 0. Samuel. It is hoped that during the coming year other citizens will come forward in a similar public spirit and assist the Board to further ibeautifv 1 the Park. Fireworks Displays.—l advise the Board to discontinue these, owing to a I large number of people surreptitiously gaining. admission and the gate receipts being so small. There are suiucient fiveworks on hand for a cood final display on some suitable occasion. During the year a number of citizens were good enough to hand to the Board a sum of £sl 4s to provide work for the unemployed. Good work was Uone by the men in generally cleaning up j some portions of the Park which the | Board, owing to want of funds, could not touch, The total amount of wages pair under this head. was £55 3s (id. There are some 43 acres in the Park, i and it is quite impossible for the Curator and his one assistant to do mere than look after that portion of t!l£ Park already uud out. There are a large number of fine young native trees I planted in the various dells, but owing }to straitened finances it is quite impossible to keep these clear of undergrowth or to put the patuways in order. The recent very heavy gale did a great i deal of damage to trees and shrubs, ne- • cessitating extra labor being engaged to | clear away the wreckage. It is a great I pity the Board could not be assured ot ! a further income of about £2OO per annum. It would then be in a position to open xtp and lay out other beauty spots which are at present growing wild, During the year the Curator, Mr. W. W. Smith, has done good work in planting ami artistically laying out portions of the Park, particularly at the Gilbert ( street entrance. This is a very great I improvement, and 'lie thanks of the

Board are duo to Mr. Smith for the attention and forethought lr; has givfin to this, and also for the keen interest he takes in the Park. I should like to emphasis? Hi" fact thai th- Park belongs to tilt 1 p-ople a lid is admitted to be the best I'ark in the Dominion. The Board, collectively and individually, take a keen interest in the Park, and they think the people should in every possible way give the Board their aid and assistance. The expense of Keeping it up increases annually, while the receipts are stationary. So far no rent has been received from the Sports Ground, as was anticipated. The thanks of the Board are due to those gentlemen v.lio have generously given donations, to the annual subscribers, and to the ladies and gentlemen of the New Plymouth Dramatic Club, in conclusion I thank the members of the Board, His Worship the Mayor and Borough Council representatives and the Press for the help ana assistance they have given us. R. COCK, Chairman. BALANCE SHEET. The balance sheet was as follows: Subsidy from New Plymouth Borough Council, £150; donations (Hon. 0. Samuel, M.L.C., £SO; liquidators 'i'aranala Freezing Works Co., £l9 18s 6d; C. YV. Gcvell, £5; Jockey Club, £2 2s; J. Legg, £2 2s; H. T. J oil, £1; anonymous, Ills 0(1), £BO l!)s 3d; annual subscribers, £2B 7s; rents, £24s sd; donations for unemployed £3G 18s; proceeds from "The Magistrate," £sl 4s; fireworks, £sl 18s 7d; licenses, £1 10s; sundries, £1 17s. o'd; Bank of New Zealand overdraft at March 31. £l2O ISs lid. Expenditure.—Overdraft at Bank of N.Z. April I, £SS 15s 2d; wages, £240 1 13s (id; casual wages, £0 10s; paid to unemployed, £55 3s Od; fireworks, £3O ' 10s 7d; advertising and printing, £2l 11.3 Od; F. P. Corkill (refund of adj vances), £9 15s Sd; tools and repairs, £l4 4s 4d; rent, £3 17s Od; ibirdfood, I £ll Os isd; timber, £4 (is; law charges, ' £(> 5s 0;1; painting seats, £2 10s; bank interest and charge, £G 0s Od; and a j few minor items, bringing the total to £5lO lis lid. | In moving the adoption of the foregoing statements, Mr. Cock said that j the Board had done very well, having j improved its position very considerably. | But far more money was required to ; beep the grounds in proper order. Many | paths were becoming impassable, being i overgrown. j Mr. Covett considered the report too j optimistic, j.lie Board was hard up} there was no denying it: and it was of |no use to hide the fact. The finances "would have been in a deuce of a mess' ■but for Mr. Samuel's £SO donation. They couldn't expect "'fifties" very often, but there ought to ibe a few '-'fivers." He intended interesting himself in the matter, n.nd would do his best amongst hid own friends to improve the finances. The chairman suggested holding a .bazaar, from which- £IOO ought to be obtainable. Mr. tribe said lie proposed or^anisin o " a gipsy contest, a very popular form of entertainment. The report and balance sheet were adopted. Mr. Cock was re-elected chairman. Mr. S. Percv-Smith regretting his inabilitv t.r accent the office, llcni'tv votes of thanks were passed to the chairman, secretary. the curator all<l the Press. The Curator's report tor the month was read. In it he mentioned that, he and his assistant, with extra labor, ban ibeen for weeks engaged in clearing up the debris from the recent gales, anci estimated that he would be similarly engaged for another fortnight. That work completed, it was his intention to make preparations for planting out a large number of young native trees, which he had yet to obtain. i Mr. S. P. Smith engaged to assist in this work, having Ministerial authority to visit certain Crown reserves for the ■purpose of securing specimen trees..