MEMORIAL PARK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 July 1941, Page 4

MEMORIAL PARK

TRUST OFFER DECLINED BOROUGH COUNCIL’S DECISION LAST NIGHT. “LIABILITY IN PERPETUITY.” An offer made by the Masterton Trust Lands Trust to pay the Borough Council the sum of £lOO for 5 years if it took over the administration of the Cameron and Soldiers’ Memorial Park was unanimously declined at last night’s meeting of the council. At the last meeting of the council it was decided to re-open negotiations, following a deputation of sports bodies. and the Trust was written to and asked to set up a committee to meet the council’s committee. A reply from the Trust was before the Council last night advising that it did not consider it necessary to set up a committee and making an offer of £lOO for five years. Councillor W. Kemp stated that the park should belong to the borough, but a weakness lay in the Trust’s offer. He considered it should have made a contribution towards putting the park in order. It would cost £l5O to repair the grandstand. If the Trust would make a grant of £l5O he would agree to the rest of the terms. The remarks .passed by trustees at a recent Trust meeting about the Council realising its duty need not have been made. To test the feeling of the meeting he moved that the Trust be asked to provide £l5O in addition. to< the terms offered. \ Councillor J. Ninnes seconded the motion, which was lost by a substantial margin. A further account of past negotiations was given by Councillor H. E. Gardner. He said that the Trust’s terms were far from liberal. “I am not against taking over the park,” said Councillor Russell. He said that while he considered the park would be better off if it were in borough hands, he objected to taking over a liability. It would cost £l5O to repair the grandstand and £3OO to put the grounds in order. He did not think it was right that the Trust should expect ratepayers to accept a liability. Ever since he had been a member of the council, from 1917, the Trust had come forward and asked for assistance for something or other. The Trust now asked the Council to take over a white elephant. The least the Trust could do would be to hand over sufficient money to put the park in order. Mr Jordan and councillors: “Hear, hear.” Councillor G. D. Wilson considered that the Trust had a “sick baby.” There was no reason why the council should not accept the park. He outlined proceedings at a meeting of the Trust and Council committees. He said that he had suggested that the Council and the Trust should jointly administer the park and share fifty-fifty in expenses or profits, but the proposal was not entertained by the Trust delegates. “I want to be fair to the Trust,” continued Councillor Wilson, who said that the Trust could not make a straight-out grant to put the grounds in order because it did not have the funds in the Memorial Park account. It was a perfectly valid reason. He now looked on the park as a liability J in perpetuity. Since the negotiations •. it had occurred to him that the grounds were only suitable for one branch of sport in season, namely football in winter and cricket in summer. If the ground were taken over for those sports the hockey people would want something done for them. The Council had baths and water supply projects ahead. If the Council took over the responsibility of sports grounds it was heading towards heavy liabilities. Councillor A. J. Jackson: “I think the offer is too little.” Mr Jordan: “So do. I.” “I won’t agree to taking over the park unless we get more,” said Councillor Jackson. Mr Jordan pointed out that the park was in a bad state. It was agreed to decline the Trust’s offer?