PUKEKURA PARK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 202, 23 February 1912, Page 4

PUKEKURA PARK.

An effort is being made by the Pukekura Park Board to raise a little money, and a meeting of citizens is called for tonight to make arrangements for instituting a Park Saturday subscription. We hope the meeting will be largely attended, and the movement heartily supported. The Park funds are at a very low ebb, and if the maintenance work is to be continued additional money must be forthcoming. The borough subsidises the grounds to the extent of £l5O a year, and this is practically the only revenue, for voluntary subscriptions amount to but little during the year. With the slender resources it is really remarkable what is done in the grounds. In its curator tlie Board has a jewel. It is really only by dint of his industry, knowledge and general capacity that the giounds are maintained in the way they are. But it is not fair to Mr. Smith or the grounds that he should have to slave nine or ten hours a day 1 and do : laborer's work. There should be quite 'enough to keep him employed in supervising, designing and adding to the beauties of the already beautiful place. What we would like to see done is to place Mr. Smith in charge of all the town's reserves and-scenic spots, and.'a competent staff available to carry ,out the maintenance work. • To do this it would, of course, be necessary tp alter the constitution of the Park Board, bringing it into line with the democratic spirit of the time, and, if necessary, under the control of the municipality. ' As at present constituted, it is 1 , out of'touch with the people. The members may have done good work in the past; indeed, they must have, or the grounds would not be in the condition they are today, but if they offered themselves for election now the majority of them would, we think, be superseded by more energetic men. The upkeep and improvement of the Park are fair charges on the borough funds, and were' the Board differently constituted we would strongly urge the Council hearing the whole cost of the upkeep. The Park is one of the town's greatest assets 1 and attractions) and should receive, the same' attention at the hands, of the Council a3 its more j materialistic services; In other parts of the Dominion, borouglis, recognising the value of breathing spaces and beauty spots, are only too pleased to bear the .cost entailed. Without real representation on the directing board—and the present representation is not real—however, it is not fair to ask the Council to do more than it is at present, except perhaps to subsidise the Board's revenue '•'£ for £, to a greater extent than tk» present subsidy, thus making the Board hustle more than it has been accustomed to in the past. Perhaps the Board will recognise that it has outlived its •usefulness and be ready to fall into line with the spirit of the times. -If it is wise it will do so without delay. In the meantime we hope the public will rei spond to the efforts the Board is now making, roll up. at to-night's meeting, and do their "little bit" towards their own Park, the most beautiful of the kind, if we are to believe visitors, to be found anywhere in the wide world.