Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1894. THE MASTERTON PARK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4657, 24 February 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1894. THE MASTERTON PARK.

The suggestion made, by Mr Eennll that tlio custody of the Masterton Park should be vested in the Town Lands Trust is a good one provided that it be practicable. Tin; Town Lands Trustees are rich enough to be able to keep up the property for tlio benefit of the town, and a recreation ground of this kind comes quite within the scope of the general objects on which its funds are by law expended, The idea is quite a liappy thought provided that technical difficulties do not intervene and make' it impracticable. The powers of the Town Lands Trust are so closely defined under the Act that it is very doubtful whether it could, without straining them, take over the man* agement of the Park. The same applies to the present Park Tiustees, who have been appointed by tbe Crown to exercise a certain trust, and who cannot take any definite step to divest thetnsel yes of the responsibility without serious and careful consideration. If the Town Lands Trust desired to take over the Park and the; Trustees of that property were willing to make the transfer, it might be necessary to pass through the Legislature Borne Bmail special Act to enable the change to be effected. In the first instance all that can be done is to ascertain whether the Town Lands Trustees would like the Park to be vested in tbem. The. Park Trustees have virtually expressed their wil-1 lingrieis to transfer it to a body which has greater rneana for maintaining it than those at their disposal at tbe present time. If the Town Lands Trust concur in tbe arrangement suggested by Mr Eenall, the question of giving effect to it will require very careful handling. A public meeting will, no doubt, be necessary, in order to obtain the sanction of the people to any course that may be depided upon. We regret to notice that our local contemporary grossly misrepresents tbe position of the Park Trustees in this matter. In bis last issue he writes: The Masterton. Park Trustees recently askea the Borough Council to tafce over their re• serve. This statement is absolutely untrue, and the spreading of false reports of this kind may prevent any satisfactory arrangement beingarrived at, As our contemporary has been represented at every meeting, which the Trustees have held, be must kti'ow that this assertion of'his is absolutely unfounded. For his sake wo should be glad to think that it was a mistake and p.ot a premeditated misrepresentation. The P»r]i Trustees received an overture frou} tbu Bprough Counoil which they pannot acpopfc on tho terms upon i which it is based; they also have ; bad-a proposal made to them by Mr ; Benall. who is one of the Town Lands j Trustees, but. tbev- have certainly ■ asked neither one body nor tbe other | to take .oyer jtbe .reserve. Their , position is simply this, that if unei or i the other body can show that it can ] do more for the Parjrthao they, with j their present limited income'can afford \ fo do, will slender tlwir Ijufit j |