HANDICAPPED ZOO

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 85, 13 April 1929, Page 10

HANDICAPPED ZOO

SUNDAY CHARGES

"A REASONABLE PROPOSAL"'

ADULTS-SIXPENCE

Sunday charges at Newtown Zoo, Councillor B. G. H. Burn, chairman of the Reserve Committee of the City, Council, contends, will place zoo fin-

ance on the footing the,institution .de-. serves, and will- make possible a thorough brightening up and improvement necessary in many directions. At the same.time, tho very moderate-' charge proposed will be-no hardship upoii'anyone. ','lt's a fair thing that those who get enjoyment from the zoo should pay for that enjoyment," he remarked,' ''and I feel sure, the majority of Wellington people arc-fully in accord with that thought." ' , ... ' Always tho difficulty over zoo matters, had been finance, he said, and though the decision, twenty odd-years ago, to establish the zoo oil a part of the Town Belt had' been generally acclaimed, for the fact that the land was so available made the establishment 'Of the Zoo posssible, yet, as the collection grew and the maintenance charges grew heavier, the barring-of Sunday charges made for plenty of worry, for the council, and particularly the Reserves"Committee. Elsewhere Sunday .-■ charges were made, and were, recognised as right and proper, as they ,would, .he was sure, be recognised by-Wellington, people. ' '-'■■% "-'-. '■'■"■ CHARGES AT OTHER ZOOS. '

At Auckland, the charge for. admission was' Is for adults and 6d' for children, week days and Sundays. The admission charges to the Sydney Zoo were sixpence and threepence; with an additional charge to the acquarium. Melbourne also charged sixpence and threepence.; The. Wellington Council-, proposed janother scale again, Is for adults on. week days, and sixpence on Sundays, children to be admitted free on any day. t "The Sunday charge proposed is 'therefore 'very reasonable indeed," said Mr. Burn, "but many sixpences mount up to a lot .of .pounds at the.end-of, a .year, and with more, money,ibr zoo development we shall be able to. put in hand'many :iimprovements, : the need \of which: is as plain. to us as to those, who criticise sharply, but offer no ; practicable /suggestions." NO MARGIN, OF FINANCE. "During recent, years,, he continued, the annual expenditure had been approximately. £5000, and .a similar amount was being asked.for for the current financial year. The annual, receipts averaged, about £2000, but— .and the point was' '■ important—the £2000 was not added to the amount, granted, £5000,; to make £7000, but was ■■ "put in the box," . the -City Treasurers box, and thus the effect was to reduce the zoo; allocation to £3000. The Kesorvcs Department was' very/ pleased to' help along the general funds with their £2000, but would be a great deal more pleased if it'had enough'to make, a'thorough job of zoo improvement. Only maintenance and a few essential improvements could be met out of the money available.' Meanwhile, the list of other really 'necessary'.,works lengthened out. • WEEK DAY AND SUNDAY ' ATTENDANCE. ; ..■■The attendance on week days during the past twelve months was 32,058, and the Sunday attendances,, when "no exact check was kept/ from 5000 to 7000 per Sunday. Taking the figure as'low as 3000, to bo quite yon the safe side, tho Sunday receipts, ]at sixpence per adult, children free, would bring in £3900. Considering the many requirements that would be no great sum, but it would enable a great deal more to bo done. The surfacing of paths y TCaa long overdue and would make a big difference to the appearance of the zoo, shelter, sheds and seats were, badly needed, 1 the, lake should havo' a wall, round it; and the present supply of water to the lake badly needed looking into, many/, of • the old cages and enclosures should be attended to right away, and, as another-very necessaryimprovement, the committee had plans for a large exercise enclosure behind the present lion and tiger cages. This enclosure would enablo the larger animals a bigger. i\angc and /would,--of ■ course, bo so designed as to.giVe the public the best view ,of them.. Though it would serve all the cages, there would be no "mixed bathing," lions and tigers being bad mixers. , The list of needs \vas; very' much longer, than that, but those were some, of the more outstanding requirements. .-,-... „.,., "I'feel confident that the ' electors will recognise the reasonableness of the suggestion the council is making," concluded Councillor Burn. "If they giro us the authority we ask for the handicap will be removed, and the,zoo will go ahead till the suroundings are -'in keeping with the very fino collection .of animals and birds we have." ; '"%'.