EXHIBITION SITE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 163, 3 April 1908, Page 7

EXHIBITION SITE.

REPAIRIMC THE DAMAGE. MATTER DISCUSSED WITH HON. G. FOWLDS. ; _ \ ' \ | (JIY TELEGBArn—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ' Christohurch, April 2. . Advantage was tafcon of tho presence in Christohurch of the Hon. Gooi'go Fowlds, Minister in charge of the. Exhibition, by tho. Christohurch Domain Board'to seo him with rcforonco to tho question of restoring that soction: of Hagloy; Pnrk used for exhibition purposes to its original condition. Tho Minister .inspeckd'Jhat pnr.t of. tho park' ; nffeotcd,- and. was" shown, tlje damago caused by exhibition, operations.. lii reply, lie said that'the Hon. 11; M'Nab had told him that the work of putting the park in orderVcould ho oarried out for £100 or £150. Ho •thought, however, it would, oosb more than that, and also considered it would bo hotter for tho Domain Board to do tho work. Nothing that tho ; Govern'mont could, do would be considered satisfactory. Mr. Boswick (chairman) said that all tho Board wanted was that the work' should bo done in a reasonable way. Ho added that the Board had also lost about'£loo in , rent caused,by tho condition of tho' park, ~; ■ Tho Minister said: that he would grant' £350, and ho thought that was a full' and liberal offer. :' _ ' '■ ' Mr, Beswick said tho ; Board could "not do tho . work for that sum; Experts to ; whom the .matter had been referred,had estimated the minimum cost at ; £500, and . that' was what the Board wanted. : Mr. Ell, M.P., suggested, that the Government should grant £140 compensation for loss of rent, and £300 to put tho. park in order. ' ■

Mr. Fowlds replied .that lie could not do that. .' - . ! Mr. Beswick said that tho Board had made a fair and roasonablo offer of £500. Thoy were trustees for. the public, and tho public were very'joaloim about the park. The smallest'amount tho Board could accept was-£500.' As .it was, the use of tho park'had been lost for two years. 1 Mr. .Fowlds: You havo 2ot to bear, in mind that you. have had a better uso\ of tho park than you would liavo had-if tho oxhibition had not been held there. Mr. Beswick: T don't know. ■. Mr. Witty, SI.P.: Thq peoplo paid, for what they got out of tho exhibition. , Mr.. Fowlds :'Thb Stato paid' £80,000." < Mr. Davey, M.P.: Tho Exhibition cost tho Christcliuroh peoplo ten times what it cost those from other parts. Referring to tho matter of restoring the park, Mr. Witty pointed out that immediately the ground was touched for. levelling purposes'tins' and rubbish iwero found,' and they would have to be removed, the work being made very expensivo in consequenco. Mr. Fowlds: I will go up to £400. I cannot go beyond that. Mr. Davey: It was not the members of the Board who put the estimate on what is required. Wo had nothing to do with that; as individual members: of the Board. 1 Wo appointed outside exports. , Mr. Fowlds: And when thoy found that the Government had got to pay they were reporting on a great many improvements. Mr. Diu ey: We are not asking ■ for any improvements. . Mr. Dunlop (a Domain member): I would not haggle over the matter. Let the Government do the work themselves. ' Mr. Fowlds: I can quito recognise that if we spent £1000 on it we would not give satisfaction. ' ■ :■ Mr. Beswick: If you put us down £1000 we mil hand you back what is not properly spont. The work qan bo done untlor your supervision. All. that we want is that tho park shall bo put in a reasonablo condition again, and wo do not ask for a penny more. Mr. Fowlds: There would be no finality if tho Government wero to do it. Mr. Witty: I.don't seo how £400 can do it. If you can do the work for less than £500," you are doing very well indeed. ■ Mr. Beswiok said tho Board would much rathoF-"that the Government' did tho work. Subsequently tho Ministor made tpi advance on his offor, aiul tho mattor will bo considered by tho Domain Board, at a special moeting to bo hold to-mprrow.