TAITA CEMETERY CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 232, 25 June 1921, Page 8

TAITA CEMETERY CONTROL

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEET. A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Taita. cemetery was held in the Mayor's room, Petone, on Wednesday afternoon, when there were present: Messrs. M. W. Welch (in the chair), W. G. Lodder, J. W. M’Ewan, W. J. Judd, C. Alsopp, and A. J. Hobbs. The chairman welcomed the new representative of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, Mr. Hobbs, who had been selected to till the position rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr. Willoughby Knight. Mr. Hobbs was subsequently appointed secretary.

The treasurer reported that he had received a cheque for J£2fl as the grant from the Hutt County Council, and advice from the Hutt Borough Council to the effect that it had decided to make a grant of .£25 provided Petone granted a similar amount. A memorandum was received from the Petone Council stating that A4lO had been granted, and that the matter would be further considered when the estimates were being discussed. The tone of the communication from Petone did not find favour with the members generally, and during the course of the discussion which ensued Mr. I odder said that the local body should interest itself in the matter, “The way wo are going on at present is disgraceful,” lie remarked.

Mr. Judd : These people have no responsibility for the burial of their dead. . , The work is done gratuitously, and I think it is over the odds. . . “Tdon't know what sort of men they are.” The speaker informed the meeting that the board had not approached the Petone Council “for a penny” since 1917.

Mr. Welch was of the opinion that the concern should be vested in one of the local bodies if the board could not carry on.

Mr. Lodder said that the whole thing should be put on a proper business basis. The way they were doing their business at present was not right. He. person-.-Jly. was not prepared to go on unless the hoard were placed on a satisfactory basis. He moved: "That we write each of the local bodies, stating the position in which we are placed, and that, we want sufficient money to acquire more land, erect n caretaker’s cottage, and have the cemetery properly surveyed and plotted; and that each appoint three representatives to confer with representatives of the beard nt a date to be fixed." The motion was seconded by Mr. Alsopp and carried. On the motion of Mr. Welch, seconded by Mr. M’Ewan. it was decided that ih« secretary write the Hutt County Council asking them to take steps to have gorse removed from the cemetery road.