DISTRICT TELESCOPE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 30 May 1930, Page 15

DISTRICT TELESCOPE

QUESTION OF LEASE

CARTER BEQUEST SCHEME

' For some years the telescope scheme for the' district rendered possible by the Carter bequest has been as nebulous, as far as practical use to citizens is concerned, as the Milky Way, and the subject was licit! up again by the City Council last ■; night owing to tuc Observatory Committee having been a trifle generous in suggesting the granting of n "lease in perpetuity" which the Acting-Mayor (Councillor Luckio) pointed out. was' conferring practically a freehold. ■ . ' • •

The Observatory Committee's, recommendations were: —

(lj That the New Zealand Institute, trustees of the Carter bequest, be granted a lease in perpetuity, at a rental of Is per annum (if demanded^ ot a quarter-acre section in the BotaniQ.il Gardens', Kelburn, for the purpose or erecting .thereon nil observatory at a cost of not less than £3000. (2) That the telescope owned by the council bo handed oycr to the trustees of the Carter Bequest free of cost for use .under existing, conditions on, its pV.'S.cnt site, with' the proviso that the 20-inch' reflector now under 'offer from 'the,"Ward Estate be obtained by the ,Isew Zealand Institute and erected in. 'flic proposed' Carter Observatory. The bequest; said Councillor Huggins, had been for the Wellington district, not the city alone. The, committee had decided that the best way of meeting the desire of the trustees for a city freehold was to give a. long lease of part of the Town Belt. Students ot astronomy would'havc excellent opportunities. Later on there would be acaretaker. • .

The first clause was altered by making '/lease in perpetuity" read "lease for fifty years," and the second clause was held over until the following recommendation by the Reserves Committee .was. being considered: — "Application for permission to erect an observatory in the Botanical Gar-1 dens, Kelburn.—The committee, recommends that the institute be advised to approach the Government with a view of obtaining portion of the area • controlled by the Government at Kelburn near the present Dominion Observatory as a site for the new building." ' Councillor Burn, chairman of the Reserves Committee, said that they should apply to the ' Government to grant a quarter-acre of. the- three acres which it, had there. Councillor Huggins said that the telescope would bo of great benefit to the people'of Wellington and the district. It was nothing to do with the Government...

. The .Acting-Mayor said that it .was a pity, that two 'committees were dealing with the same proposal; The council was authorised' by Statute' to grant a lease of a.porion of the public reserves, and to release such land to the New Zealand Institute. ' It'was in pursuance of the clauso in that legislation that the proposal was made. It was not likely that the council would shirk its responsibilities by throwing them on the Government. If .Councillor" Huggins 's clause was deferred for consideration this one njust also bo. He would like it to be referred :to the City En'ginec'r also. "He thought that the two committees should get together arid coordinate. ~

Councillor Morpeth said that this matter had been before the council for three or four years. It was strange that two committees should be dealing with it from different points of ' view the same week. ••■

'Councillor Mitchell said that- they (v'We'-iii'ak'ih'g', mr difficfllty' about it,-but'! they desired that if tho. quarter of ani acre of land was not required for any other purpose, and if the site were considered the best, it should, be granted to encourage the trustees. The site should at once be granted. Councillor Luckie: "No doubt."

. Councillor Meadowcroft said that they had been.up to see tho three 4crßS taken over by the Government on which was :a kind of battery. -'Times had Changed/and'ho battery was likely to be required'there!. It seemed to the. Reserves': Committee that this was the best site for an observatory. They had tried to get the New Zealand Institute to act in tho matter, but they had wihdrawn the offer to purchase the telescope. The City Council had paid £500 for. it. If-the trustees would buy the telescope and administer, the-' - whole thing, it would allow the council to become- quit of it altogether. /The council would' then get back the1 £500 expciided on the instrument, which was not largely' used. There might be two or three scientists round the council table, but it would be wise for tho council to hand the whole thing over.

Councillor Wright said that he thought the committee had acted Weakly, for it had practically given tho telescope away. The council would have no voice in it at all.

Councillor Luckie said that the public would still benefit. He suggested that the difficulty could be overcome if the telescope were leased for a long period at a peppercorn rental, so that the council would still retain it's interest in-the instrument.