One "Third 0f Total Cost Or One Third Of Half The Cost?

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14927, 15 March 1949, Page 3

One "Third 0f Total Cost Or One Third Of Half The Cost?

Domain Conveniences

TAURANGA bowling club denies the 1 BOARD’S ALLEGATIONS

“If the Tauranga Bowling Club were to pay £124 . am ount which it was originally asked by the Tauranga n main Board to contribute towards the cost, of these confidences—it would be bearing th,e whole cost remaining V ft t j ie total had been reduced by the grant of £248 made to the board by the Department of Lands and Survey last asgert j on was ma d e by the President of the TauBowling Club, Mr T. S. J. Doherty, in the course of a Sement to tne Bay of Plenty Times. Mr Doherty’s comment follows cn the board’s decision that failing payment by the club of a third of the total g. ’of £2Bl, within one month, the cheque in payment of ?P2 (representing one third of half the cost) already made hv the club, would be returned and the amenity thrown open to the public.

-The board,” said Mr Doherty, “states through ivs two representa- : * Messrs W. A. Carswell and n V p’ 'Liv’ngstone, that the club re£i' W its responsibilities, tf is time the public was made t°he th first° S place the club has npver refused to honour any of its Sus obligations since its formalin 1906. In the second place the t]10 " nf the whole construction wfs not £2Bl, as stated. The contract aL over all which was accepted Sv the board’s representatives was It may interest the public to S, that the club, in its first Soroach to the Board asking for reconstruction of the conveniences because of their obsolete and inadequate accommoda- £ made an offer of £6O towards the project a gesture entirely spontaneous and an indication of the club’s practical interest in this very necessary sanitary requirement “Following this request, members the Domain Beard, namely the chairman, Mr L. R. Wilkinson, Mr Carswell and Mr C. Kennedy with mvself and six other members of the club’s executive met by arrangement on the ground ana both inspected and discussed the proposed reconstruction. Verbal Agreement

“It was then a verbal agreement was arrived at, that the club should pay one-third of half the cost of a new structure erected on our half of the boundary line. There appeared to be no misunderstanding about this mutual agreement. The club then set to work and procured a plan specifications, a price and a contractor, submitting the complete proposition to the Domain Board for its approval. This was obtained, and the work proceeded with under the direct control and instruction of the Domain Board. “The club’s executive was never approached to sign any agreement whatsoever regarding its share , of the cost or to make any payment until after the work was completed,” the president continued. “The board, on October 26 made a demand for £124 one-third of the v/hole cost. This demand was entirely (Contrary to the verbal agreement arrived at in July. Allegation Denied “Mr Carswell and Mr Livingstone now take up the attitude that the club’s executive has broken its agreement. We as an executive deny this. The positive opinion of six cf my colleagues and my own as to the real agreement is perfectly clear. I am sure the chairman himself will bear this out. If numbers count at all the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the club’s promise having been given as stated. If the Domain Board represents lives had any doubt about the agreement, one would think that, as sound business men having charge of the job, they would have approached the club for some kind of a contract in writing. “Following the demand for £124 the club wrote to the board en-

closing a cheque for £62, the amount assessed on the basis of one-third of half the cost of the whole, as mutually agreed. In reply the board sent an amended account for a third of the cost amounting to £93 13s 4d, a difference of £3O 6s Bd. It is apparent the board is not sure where it stands on the matter. Grant From Government

“In the Bay of Plenty Times of October 16 1948 appears the following interesting item: ‘Advice that approval has been given for a grant of £248 to the Tauranga Domain Board towards the cost of conveniences to be erected on the Domain was received from the Department of Lands and Survey.’ “After receiving this subsidy the board’s liability was reduced to £124, the actual amount they had asked the club originally to pay as the club’s share.

“If the club were to pay this amount, it would be paying the whole remaining cost of the structure, £124, at the same time providing new accommodation for the sports ground free of cost to the board. “It will be seen that under the circumstances the club’s offer of £62 represents actually one-half of the actual cost to the,board. The club is net aware of any other similar organisation making such an offer.

“Mr Carswell suggests that the board should return the club’s cheque and that the board make the conveniences open to the public. I am bound to say that the return of the cheque does not concern the club nor the management of the latri'nes. They are erected on public property in any case. What Club Has Spent

“Mr Livingstone has only been on the board a few months and Is not conversant with the history of this town. He talks of the ’niggardly’ rental paid by the club but he does not tell the public, that the club pays the board quite a tidy sum for rent, water, sanitation and electricity and a substantial premium each year on the buildings erected on the board’s property which were built entirely at the expense of the club’s own members. “The c’ub has shouldered its duties and responsibilities for 43 years and the recent request by the club to the beard, as a tenant over that long period, to replace very necessary sanitary accomodation, is the only application the club has ever made for assistance.

“In looking up records it is noted that, on the area occupied by the club (which is under one acre all tcld) a huge sum amounting to several thousands of pounds has been spent in labour and construction and dues to the board. Club members certainly enjoy the fruits of their labour and the money spent, but, by doing so they also provide and maintain the board’s property and have established entirely at their own expense the most attractive area of anv public park in Tauranga,” Mr Doherty concluded.