"PREPOSTEROUS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 6

"PREPOSTEROUS."

MILITARY CAMP AT KARORI. A CHARGE OF £5, THE CAPTAIN & THE COUNCIL An outcome of the recent training camp of the First Wellington Battalion at Karori Park was a letter, "writ sarcastic," which was read at last night's meeting of the Knrori Borough Council. The writer, Captain Jas. W. Henderson, who was quartermaster at the camp, unburdened himself as follows;— A Sarcastic Letter. I enclose clieouo for £5 being the charge your loyal and patriotic (?) council insists in making for the iieo of the public's, own grounds.(Karori i'ark) for public purposes, viz., flic training of its citizen soldiers. I never dreamed your council would have "the nerve" to make any charge, and assured the Of. ncer Commanding, if ho would consent to his battalion going to Karori, no cnarge. would be made. Such action on your council's part is on a par with its penny-wise and pound l'oolisli policy in regard to the Uas Company. I feel ashamed to reopen the accounts connected with tho recent camp to insert tins item. Wo have always had free grounds. Agricultural societies havo ircqucntly given us free use of their jshowgrounds and all buildings thereon, other people were always pleased to liave us, and 1 thought from patriotio motives your council would have been so too. lour council is, of course, justilica in making a charge when tho grounds 1 are used by parties for their, own pleasure and amusement, as ill football, ( etc., but surely when men devote their time and energies to the defence of the country, public bodies at least ought only to be too pleased to give such assistance as they can l>y granting every facility free. In my IB years' experience of volunteering . . , I never knew of an instance of volunteers being charged for the use of grounds either by public bodies .• . . or even private individuals except onco, and that was at Karori. The sum of 2s. per day per iwin allowed by the Defence Department to cover the cost of such camps docs not admit of paying, nor was ever intended to pay, for the use of grounds. In future camps on your grounds (if such ever take place) by deducting 3 ounces of meat per diem from each man's allowance, w« shall be able to meet the extraordinary demands of tile council out of tho commissariat allowance made by tho Defence Department. It has been proposed to hold a small camp for officers' training, at Easter, but beforo we consider bestowing our patronage on Karori, I shall be glad to know if you would expcct the officers to find o, similar charge out of their own pockets, in addition to the many other expenses they would havo to meet. If so, they can go—and would be very welcome— elsewhere. I regret to have said so much, but to havo said nothing would have been hypocritical, for I really consider your charge preposterous. Ho wonder Karori docs not go ahead. Ita foes are those of its own household. Views of Councillors. The Mayor said it was hard to tako the breeks oil a Highlander, but lie did not know why Mr. Henderson made sucli a noise about the matter. He (Mr. Henderson) agreed to the arrangement at the time. Personally, he was willing to remit the amount if the council thought fit. If it was correct that so many ounces of meat had to bo deducted per day from tho men's allowance it was, in his opinion, a very grave reflection on the Defence Department. They were all taxed for the upkeep of the Army. Their business as councillors was to look after the business of the ratepayers. , Tho grounds cost a good deal to keep up each year, ami llio best interests of tlio ratepayers had to be studied. If the camp was starved it was, as ho had said, a grave reflection on the Defcnee Department. Councillor Spiers moved that (ho 6het[ue "bo" returned. ■ ■ " The -Mayor: He (Mr. Henderson) is very sorry to part with it, and expects to get it returned. Councillor Hildreth said the charge had been made to cover tho ' expense' the council was put to in clearing the grounds, etc., and he did not see that they should remit the sum. Ho i did not object to remitting tho payment in itralf, font ho did object to being slated by Mr. Henderson after the arrangement that had been entered into. >.'■ In answer to a question the engineer said the nightwatcliman alone had cost and in nddition there -was the expenso of clearing up, etc. Councillor Burn did not see why tho cheque should lie refunded at all. It had cost the council more , than ,£5 in expenses. The secretary, road a letter granting the uso of the Karori Park to the military authorities, stipulating a payment of oCS to cover expenses that would bo incurred. Councillor Standen did not think it would bo wise to get Lieutenant Henderson's "back up" Tho tram revenue had benefited greatly by (ho camp, He would support Councillor Spicrs's motion. Councillor Cathie remarked that although Mr. Henderson was undoubtedly very enthusiastic in everything he took, up lie was apt to sit in judgment on the council if it did not carry out exactly what he thought should bo done. If Mr. Henderson was at tlio council table now ho would find., it more difficult to work tho borough than it was when he was a councillor. There was a covert threat in tho letter which ho (Councillor Cathie) did not like. Tho motion was-lost by 5 votes to 2, and the letter remained on tho table.