CITY RESERVES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1932, Page 12

CITY RESERVES

HSRE) PRUNING

SUGGESTED ECONOMIES

DIRECTOR'S REPORT

For an hour last night the City Council discussed, at times rather warmly, the pruned estimates for the reserves; and a striking report on the result by the Director (Mr. J. G. MacKenzie). It was freely stated that sports bodies •were not paying- enough, for the "maintenance and use of grounds. The reports were finally referred back for the explanation."of sources of revenue dis"cussed.at the meeting, as an alternative to the dismissal of 32 men, which the chairman of the committee said was otherwise inevitable. ■•/ The committee recommended ■ that the report of the Director of Parks with regard Jto the estimates be adopted. : . ALLOCATION BEDTTCED The Director reported:— "The position was thai the total allocation for the Botanic Gardens, Parks and, Reserves, Baths and Beaches, Forestry, Aerodrome; ' and Zoo had been reduced to £24,125. That was a second cut of 17 per : cent, on the amount originally allocated after the 20 per cent. cut. .The original'allocation was £29,320. The" second cut represented a sum of £5193, leaving £2771 to carry on the Zoo and £21,354 for all other activities of the Reserves Committee., Two months of the financial year had passed, and there was an approximate, amount of £16,972 to carry them over the next ten months. There had been a reduction in the staff of the Department, and there is at present, with offico staff, a'total of 116 employees. Sixteen of the leading hands had-.been employed as gangers on the_ No. 5 scheme since last year, otherwise they'would have' 'been dismissed when the. cut Tvas made in last year 'a allocation. They would only be retained as long as the N0.,5 scheme was in operation. -.. '^As 93 per cent, of our expenditure is in labour,'it will be necessary to dismiss 40 to 45 of the remaining 100 employees .immediately," said the: report.' '"This will leave me with dnly a skeleton staff to carry on. lam of .the opinion that we should; under the circumstances,; give as much attention as . possible to the gardens and plantations of the city. Once neglected - for a season," they will require a very- big expenditure to bring them ■back to their present standard. The gardens, etc., I refer to are Botanic Gardens, Central .Park, Otari 'Open-air Plant Museum, City Garden's, Newtown Park, Queen's Park, Williamsr's Park (Day's Bay.), Onslojv Park and ;Domain, and the Town-Belt plantations. POSITION OF SPORTS BODIES. . "Working on these lines with the reduced staff, it wilt be-ne'eessary 'to do' the following:— (1); Cancel the present- agreement with the Wellington Cricket Associa- ■ tion and Basin - Reserve.- 'Three months V notice will require •to be given. This should be given at once. (2) Do no'further work on croquet courts in the city, but lease them at an annual" rental/of £25 for.1 'each court'rto^ the crdlSs, and make \Jhem responsible .for upkeep. . * ( ' ■ (3) Prepare no vmore cricket wickets in the city reserves. Grounds only.;to be cut and rolled. ~ '■' ■ •; (4) Leave, Thornd6n'- V ajjd; Khandal-',

lah Baths closed during summer season, 1932-33. (5) As all play area assistants will be discharged, it may be necessary to dismantle some of the apparatus. A play area without an attendant in the vicinity is both a moral and physical danger.l----(6) An instruction has been received from the special committee that ■ this department should provide additional receipts by increasing the fees for use of grounds. . This is a matter for consideration by this committee. However, I am of the opinion that we cannot look' for the same amount as last year, nor even the £8100 shown in the statement prepared and approved by the coun- ■; cil. If we do not provide service, -. there must be a very considerable drop in. the returns. "It has\to be realised that this year the reserves allocation is less than half it. was in 1930-31, and a third less than it was last year. I wish the chairman of the committee to be associated with me in going through the-list of employees to determine who should be dismissed. Aa it means half must go, it is a serious matter for all concerned. I<have carried on' hoping for an increased allocation. Now it-is an urgent necessity that these dismissals be made at once. I desire authority to dispose of four horses and carts that there will be no drivers for."- - THE FINANCIAL POSITION.' Councillor P. Meadowcroft, chairman of the committee, said that the amount allocated to reserves, baths, and beaches for the year was now £21,354, of which in the first .three months £6731 had been spent, leaving £14,622 for the remainder of the year. Material used by the Reserves Department accounted, for ils per cent, of tho expenditure and labour, supervision, etc., for 88J per cent. The amount available for labour for the remainder of the year was^ £12,941," and "When" the additional'men ■required at ithis baths; during the summer months and other, expenses were, taken into account, an amount of only £4410 was available for ;labour, sufficient to prpvido/forV twenty-seven employees at the rate ■' of £4. gs'per' weelf ;• thirty-two men" wer.e thus \unprovided,for. "^ «,>--C; - 4 :; ~..'■ r ■ DISMISSALS iMAPE;! '■ Ten men, had received ' Jibtice on Monday, aid. thbsSr' for' whom there would be~rio iribney? would also have to go, said Councillor Meadoweroft! If ttte staff, was so. .reduced the same .service could not be";given, and therefore the committee brought forward its recommendations. .' ' * -'" The Mayor: "Except that you have not yet explored all possibilities of getting further revenue." ■""':'■ If .less service was. given; continued Councillor .MoUdpwcroft,:'then less revenue was also to be expected. FACING REALITIES. ' Councillor W. Appleton said realities must be faced and luxuries dropped. There was an office staff of five to control " reserves, which was unnecessary. Works unnecessary to tie city were, going on. '. If it was necessary 'to hand over reserves to sports bodies and make them.pay, let it be done. ." " '. '

The Mayor said that there was no question as^to.the shortage of money or'the-reduced, vote-to reserves. The position was >as stated by Councillor. Meadowcroft. The council shouid however, retain as many men as. pos-; eible. He considered some of the recommendations" premature. Sources of revenue had not been explored. The Commission, in regard to the cost of preparing wickets, had said, that the expenditure was, £180 *a week, and the receipts £50. 'it seemeel \o -him that cricketers" could",' pay more if they wanted the wicket* -Cricket paid 15* per cent, of the gates and 50 per cent, of the stand. .More should be got out of-the gate money. He suggested that the; position Jpe pointed out to~the

Cricket Association immediately. He agreed with the proposal regarding the croquet lawns. There was a loss of £ 601 on seven courts a year. On seventeen courts the loss would be £1400 a year. It would be preferable for the council to keep the courts in repair at a charge than to dispense with men. It was necessary to at once get in touch with the affected sports organisations " and see if more revenue could hot. be obtained. The Mayor suggested that, instead of dropping services to the public, the services should be maintained at increased cost by uegotiation. A SILVER LINING. After further discussion, the Mayor said that as the result of an interview that afternoon, there was a possibility of getting money, but he would only be able to announce it in committee. On Councillor Meadowcroft's suggestion the report was referred back to the committee for further consideration.