PUKEKURA PARK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 24 February 1912, Page 8

PUKEKURA PARK.

SHOULD IT BE CONTROLLED BY ! THE COUNCIL! MR. W. T. JENNINGS TAKES A HAND. The proposal, broached in yesterday ' morning's Daily News, to radically alter the constitution of the Pukekura Park Board, was introduced by Mr. W. T. Jennings at a meeting held la3t evening in connection with Park Saturday. He said the Borough Council should be responsible for the up-keep of the grounds. While realising the very great care given to the park by Mr. Smith, he thought it was a pity that charity should always have to be invoked. If a larger section of the general public had attended the meeting he would have moved that a deputation should wait on the Borough Council, asking it to take over the control and up-keep of the park. He had no desire to reflect on the devoted labor* of the Park Board. He failed to see why the burden of finance should remain on the shoulders of a. few. i NO TIME FOR THE COUNCIL.

The suggestion of municipal control was opposed by the chairman (Mr. Percy-Smith). The matter, he explained, would come up for consideration soon by the board, but he was quite sure that members would be opposed to handing it over to the borough. (Hear, hear.) Members of the board gavie both their means and their time to the work, and he thought that the public generally would not approve of the Borough Council taking over the reins. The Rev. Osborne also opposed tba proposal, saying that the people had only to 100k 1 at the disgraceful condition of Liardet street to oppose handing over the Recreation Grounds tt the Council's care. THE PUBLIC'S LAST CHANCB. According to Mr. Gevett, the question of change of control had been put before the board, but it had been considered that before it passed an opinion the publie should have an opportunity to subscribe. The way they subscribed would be an indication whether or not the board should ask the council to take charge. In speaking in favor of the board, he remarked that that body had made the grounds the pride of New Zealand. Summed up, Park Saturday would really be a test question, to a great extent. The board could not carry on Unless there was an improvement in the public support. In the opinion of Mr. Hughes, the ceuncil was not the proper body to manage a concern of that kind. What was required was people who had their hearts in the work, and who by 60me sort of training were fitted for the work. Following on the article in the Daily News he trusted that if the question was considered the constitution of the board would be altered to the extent of making the body consist of five elected and five nominated members. The chairman was opposed to the matter being further considered at what he described as a meeting which was called to arrange- details of collecting, and the subject was not further pursued.