CR. CASTLE AND THE ZOO

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 109, 5 November 1917, Page 2

CR. CASTLE AND THE ZOO

10 THJ IDIIOR.

Sir,—Youc report of the seventh annual meeting of the Zoological Society contained the following paragraph :—" A -somewhat desultory discussion took place, in course of which the Zoo was praised, but some important changes in the management;- which are likely to be more definitely proposed in future, were nmted at." Now, that is a correct ! account of what occurred at the meeting, and is quite in accord with the objects of the society—viz., the promotion of tie Zoo. An all-round discussion took place on the general management of the Zoo, the question of whether the recent increase in the charge for admission was not somewhat'restricting the number of visitors was considered, and various other suggestions were made, which it was thought might be to the advantage of the general public; but, being late, no definite resolution was put forward, the intention being to bring proposals forward at next meeting. At the !asfc City Council meeting, Councillor, Frost, in moving the adoption of the Reserves Committee report, took occasion to read the above-quoted paragraph to the council, and evidently resented what he suggested was Rn unwarrantable interference, and quite uncalled for. Now, sir, the Zoo is under the control of the City Council, which delegates matters of detail to a special Zoo Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Reserves Committee, Councillor Frost being chairman of that committee. He knows that I have been secretory of the Zoo Society for the past six years, and he also knows from past experience that my society has been able in many ways to improve, the Zoo, and has assisted the council in doing things that the council could not have earned out itself. We have adapted ourselves to circumstances, and have worked with everybody to help make the Zoo a valuable educational institution. The Zoo is growing, and is also improving to some extent, along the lines which members of the society wish that it should, but no reasonable person would suggest that perfection has yet been reached, and that there will be no alteration in the management in the years that are to come. As a society,'we have always held, tho opinion that the Zoo is destined to become a national institution, and-that,-as is dono in other countries, the Government will eventually grant a subsidy, just as they do to the 'museums, but, having regard to the fact that we are at war just now, we are not actively advocating this policy at present. The time will come, no doubt, when it will be necessary to considerably alter the present management of the Zoo, if it is ever to reach the ideal which we are striving for. When that time comes criticism will be the order of the day, and all personal considerations must go oy the board. Finally, whether as a private citizen or as a city councillor, I shall always mainJ tain that I have the right to criticise the management of any public institution that is being administered by the expenditure of public money. Neither the frowns, of Councillor Frost nor the ipse dixit of a Zoo curator will deter me from I doing this when I think it is in the public interest.—l am| etc., " JOHN CASTLE, Sec, Wellington Zoological Society. 3rd November.