GAGE FOR MONKEYS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1933, Page 12

GAGE FOR MONKEYS

COUNCILLORS OBJECT

BETTER USE FOR MONEY

BUT. MONKEYS WIN

"Whether or not £.200 collected by Sunday charges at the Zoo should be applied to building a new monkeycage or hypothecated for some other purpose, was a question which exercised the minds of city councillors at the-council meeting last night. There was a considerable divergence of opin-1 ion, but after two votes had been! taken the moneys scored a technical I .victory, at least, when it was. decided' •to adopt the recommendation of the Committee and spend the money on the cage. A notice of motion to reseirid this resolution was iniinedi- , ately given, however, and this will have'the effect of holding ap the matter in the meantime. The Eeserves Committee recommended:—" That authority be granted for the construction of a new cage for the monkeys, at the Zoo- at an esti- , mated cost of £200, the money to .bo .obtained from the receipts from. Sunday takings.'? NOT THE EIGHT TIME. Councillor W. Appleton said he did :»ot think that at the present timo the ; council should spend S2OO on a cage .for monkeys, and ho uipved that the clauso should be sent back to the committee for further consideration. Councillor P. Meadowcroft, the chairman of the committee, explained that some. years ago a poll was taken to ] si^e whether a charge should be made for the Zoo on Sundays, and the pro- . posal was tarried. It was explained at ■ the timo that tho money so collected should be employed not for the upkeep of. the Zoo, but for the improvement of the conditions of the animals. Councillor H. A. Huggins seconded Councillor Appleton V motion because did not think any more money should V|be spent on a monkey cage with, conditions as they were at present. i A Toice: There is a moral obligation. > V Councillor Huggins: There are no Obligations on the council at- present. ] "LET THE MONKEYS GO." Councillor J. Burns said the cage was £l matter of urgent necessity,, and if the money was not spent on it it would lie idle. Councillor E. Semple, M.P.: Let the poor monkeys go and close tho Zoo altogether. At a time when the City was in imprecedented difficulties and facing a winter which" gave him-a cold shud--Ber every time he thought of it, Councillor Semple safd he could not vote for the spending of & 200 on a monkey cage while kiddies were going hungry. He had never voted for the spending cf one penny' on the Zoo, which he considered was a relic of' barbarism. Councillor Meadowcroft: "We have no [authority to divert the money. Councillor Semple: It is no use making thai miserable excuse. If the council explained its reasons for diverting the money, he was satisfied the people of New Zealand and the 'citizens of • 'Wellington would applaud its action. • The Mayor said that supposing it was b case of having £10,000 for the Zoo iand. the city was £20,000 short, it 'seemed to him that it would have to be a very definite trust for the council not to divert the money. He thought the question should be held over and Jjrought up at the next meeting. Councillor W. lJuncan said, there was jbnly one thing to. do: either build ithe cage or sell the monkeys, for the cage would not hold, the monkeys much longer. • The,motion was lost by 9 votes to 6. • Conncillor, Semple moved an amendment that the matter should be suspended for a month so that a report could: be brought down showing the proportionate cost -of labour and material in building the cage. This amendment was lost by 8 votes jto,7, and it was decided, to agree to Jhe recommendation. Councillor J. N. Wallace then gave .Botice to rescind the decision. ' Another proposal made'by the committee was that1 £100 should.be provided on next year's estimates for the alteration of one of the old bear pens near the entrance to the Zoo into a refreshment stall. Councillor Appleton objected to the proposal: there, was no justification, le neld, for the council to set up a refreshment stall when private enterprise •was supplying ■ all reasonable requirements. -