MASTERTON PARK TRUST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4656, 23 February 1894, Page 3

MASTERTON PARK TRUST.

'. Special .Meeting, . ~ A special meeting of the above body o wag held yesterday afternoon to.conBiderthe Masterton Borough Count oil's proposal to takeover the managei ment of the Park. There were present: Messrs J. Payton (m the ohair), R - Hare, P. 6, Moore, O.E. Breinnor, b A. B, Bunny, J. O. Boddington, E. Feist lud A, W, Renall. t The Secretary (Mr W. fJellar) read > the Council's letter offering to rolievo i the Trustees of the lu&nagemoufc of - the Park, and to expend thirty pounds i per annum, if necessary. . The Chairman said ho understood - that Mr Renall had a proposal to make , whioh might put the question in a ■ different light, It. would be well if i Mr Renall placed his views before ' them. , Mr Renall said ho had heard of the i proposal of the Boroagh Oounoil, and had come to tho conclusion tbat a i better courso would bo. if the Trustees i handed the Park ovor at all, to hand it to the Town Lands Trustees, who would soon derivo a considerable income from properties the leaseß of whioh were about to expire. It was unfair in his opiuion to siddlo the ratepayers with the expense of the Park maintenance, when the Town Lands Trust was much better able to expend money on it out of a fund belonging to the whole of the'inhabitants. He would move that tho management of the Park be handed to the Town Lands Trustees if (hat body were agreeable to tike it over. The Chairman said the proposal was a good ono, and he was prepared to i support it. If the Park were handed ' to the Town Linda Trustees, he thought it would really be in the best interests of the town. Mr Boddington seconded the mo- ] tion. He quite fell in with Mr i Eenall's views. The Borough Coun-I oil's offer to expend £3O per annum ' if'necessary was too indefinite, and he j fliould be better pleased to see the Town Lands Trustees take over the , management of the Park, as they were , in a better financial position, I Mr Bunny aug; elfdlhe advisabiN. I ity of making soim conditions. ' The Chairman said he did not think ' it necessary to go into details until the Town Lands Trustees had con- , sidered tho matter. ( Mr Bremner .was of opinion tbat \ they ought to arrange conditions be- j fore submitting the proposal, < Mr Feist said be was not going to ( oppose the motion, but, as far as he knew, it had never been decided by ( the Park Trustees that it was desirable | on their part to relinquish the man- j agement, or to hand the Park oror to t any body. ( Mr Hare said they ought to send a ' reply saying " yes" or "no" to ihe Borough Council's offer. | The Chairman said Mr Eenall's , motion was directly bearing on the I subject matter of the letter before i them. They could not sond an answer » to the Council until tli9y had ap- j proached the Town Lands Trustees. Mr Bunny .reminded the Trustees J that if they did relinquish, they could , only hand over tho powers they 5 poasesscd.under the samo conditions, '■ Another question arose and that was / in the event of the Town Lands Trus* ' tees refusing to take over the Park would they make a periodical grant if the Park Trustees rotained the management? t The Chairman said if any member t thought they should not divest them- ' selves of the Trust, it would be well r to move in that direction to test the . feeling of the meeting, .

Mr Feist said he did not wish this. For his part bo was quite prepared to band the Park over to the Town Lands Trustees if it were thought deairablo to reduce the number of local bodies, Mr Haro said tbe Mayor bad told him that tbe Jiorougb Cotmoil was not at all anxious to take over the Park. Mr Moore said that be understood that the Park Trustees were in favor, as a whole, of handing the Trust over to some body able to expend more revenue on tbe Park than the present Trustees, He would suggest that Mr Ronall's motion bo altered to read that before any definite reply be sent to the Borough Council's letter offering to take over the Park, tbe Town Lands Trustees ho asked whether they are prepared to accept the management thereof undei the conditions of tbo oxisting Trust, and if so upon what understanding as to expenditure to be incurred in improveinents, Mr Renall expressed bis willingness to substitute Mr Moore's motion for his own. Mr Bunny said that when they approached the Town Lands Trustees, it would be well to ask if they would grant an annual subsidy, if they did not see their way to take over the management, The Park Trustees could then better consider their position. Mr Renall said he did not know whether tbe Trußtoes were in favor of letting tbe Park go out of their hands or not. Mr Bunny thought they were all agreed to hand over the Trust if it was Bbown to be for the public benefit. The Chairman, referring to Mr Bunny's remarks reminded the Trustees that when the Town Lands Trust took oyer the Park liability, the annual subsidy of £56 per annum ceased, and the Park Trustees had given a pledge not to ask tbo Town Lauds Trust for a subsidy again. To do so would be a breach of faith, If tbe Town Lands Trustees offered a subsidy, of course they might take it but by their pledge, given in October, 1891, tbey could not ask for a subBidy, Mr Bunny said tbat having beard and oarefully weighed the Chairman's remarks, he was still of opinion that tbey ought to ask tbo Town Lands Trustees to grant a subsidy, as an alternative to taking tbe management of the Park o?er altogether. He did not thick tbe resolution should be binding for ever, The Town Lands 1 Trustees might not care to take over tbo Park at all, and they therefore I bad to look at the matter from all points beforedealingwiththe Borough Council's offer. The Chairman was of opinion that an immediate meeting of the Town ■ Lands Trustees might be called, when i tbe Park Trustees could wait on them s and explain their views, I Mr Bunny said if tbe Chairman : would move this he would be satisfied. - Tho Chairman then moved that the , town Lands Trustees be asked to hold f a meeting, and a committee of the . Park Trust as a whole, attend the I meeting to discuss the matter.

Mr Bremner seconded the motion wbiohwas carried. • On the motion of Mr Moore it was resolved to inform the Borough Council of the postponement of the consideration of the Council's offer, The Chairman said there was one other littlo'matter, and that was that whatever body did tako Qver.:ytb 9

Park, he for Che should net le prepared to relinquish itwitLbut iinagreement that the body relieving them expend £l5O during the next five years. It was ns well that * this should be plainly understood. Mr Boddington thought they were all quite agreed on that point, Tho meeting then concluded with, the customary voto of thanks to (he Chair,'