CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1881, 6 January 1885, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

MASTERTON PARK. I TO IHB EDITOR. Sir,—By the settler and his children who have decided to make Masterton their permanent home, your leader re Masterton Parle will be read with pleasure, Your contemporary, however, I fear more from the spirit of opposition than of fair play or perhaps from the want of the knowledge of facts in connection with this reserve, adds sarcastically "At no time since the Trustees began to distinguish themselves by digging holes and planting trees promiscuosly, has the park presented such a gay and animated appearance," It is gratifying to find even from this sourco.that this endowment, has.at length. become-so .valuable- and- attractive. But • the difficulty attending this reserve not becoming attractive before this was not the. fault.of. the -Trustees in whom -theTeserve was vested, for,' prior to 1875, it was taken and handed over to the Education Board of the Province with, theapproval and--concurrence of'our two members, who represented lis in the Provincial Council. Thankßj-however,' isdue to a few of our settlers, that this swindle was not allowed long to exist.- With the aid of our then energetic- member, Mr Bunny,- the reserve was by special Act of the Legislature, restored to the people, ■and)vested in, Trustees .for their benefit,Prior howev'erto ■1875,'a-lefise for fourteen' years was given to Mr Bannister, and before he would part with Mb interest in the lease, the,iettlers.,,had...to'Bulisefibe £IOO for him, and this bo heavily handicapped the Trustees that there wks no alternative but to. borrow £4ooin order to make the reserve'worthy the town as a recreation and pleasure resort for peopleThe money has been expended to the best advantage, and one of the trustees Mr McOardle, a thorough practical gardoner and nurseryman, gavo -valuable assistance; in the planting of.-trees, arid digging;;'6f holes, as yoiir cbntempory fastidiously describes.it, ahd-now.'sir, we have for the use and recreation of the citizens a public property second to none in the : Province of Wellington, without any cost .whateVßt: to : the people. . The debt £4OO .mu6fc.bo.met,iuid it is our duty as citizens' '.toiseChow it is to be.paid, .-From yourresidence among us you-amriow.awaro oftho histoiy of our Town Lands Trust and ;h'ewl must say'..th'aT biir thanks 'are due to the first trustees, Messrs R«nap Masters and Hare for not havmgHdany of thesetown acres like our Groytown-neighbours thereby scouring to the'toWi-permanent-benefit for education and other purposes. Prior to 1871, when the act of management of the town lands was passed, State Education was not thought of, therefore the conservative of there town lands were of opinion that the children of the settlers in both townships should be assisted in their education from the funds of the torn reserves' hence the provision of the Act of management of 1871. But, Sir, since then a'gigantic State Education has come into existence, absorbing about £400,000 per annum of the revenue' of the colony for the education of the children- of the settlers, and this amountso far as Masterton is conoerned appears not to be sufficient as the annual grants and votes of the Town Lands Trust fully testify. ,: I don't wish for a moment to imply "that'Tmy. member of this Trust. whose children, receive ,a free education would be ..so narrow minded as to w'lthold f rani "a kindred trust whose object for the promotion of botanical education, recreation-, ■ and healthful exercises, for the citizens and their children a portion of their" trust' funds, for it must be born in mind'.that these funds and .the Masterton Park reserve are both the property of the citizens, and if, the more wealthy trust is called upon to assist the- poor- one; the object is for the benefit of the people and should receive the full approbation of the people's representatives. ..'. lam&c, '. " !.' ■'.'. Old Settler.