THE MONKEY CAGES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 64, 17 March 1933, Page 5

THE MONKEY CAGES

\money to be spent

SUNDAY TAKINGS

Again last night the City Council discussed the question of whether £200 collected in Sunday takings should be (spent in necessary repairs to monkey, cages at the Newtown Zoo. The matter was brought up by Coun^ cillor J. N. Wallace, who moved that the decision of the previous v meeting that the money be spent should be rescinded, i. Councillor Wallace said that there was no need to enlarge any further on the matter, he was satisfied there was a general feeling that the present was no time .to spend money on the zoo, even if the money was indirectly earmarked for that purpose. The council had no right to spend £.200 in monkey cages while such misery as existed in the * city continued, said Councillor H. A. Huggins. Councillor B. Semple, M.P.,, spoke strongly against any expenditure on the zoo. The citizens, when approving of Sunday charges, were definitely promised that money collected on Sundays would be spent upon zoo improvement, said Councillor T. Forsyth. The majority of citizens had indicated that they desired the zoo, said Councillor C H. Chapman, M.P., and the zoo should be maintained in good order. As a matter of fact practically all the money would be spent in labour, for £66 would be paid directly - for labour and £127 would be spent oil Kew Zealand-made materials. PROMISE TO CITIZENS. While tho resolution remained on "tap council's records that Sunday takings should be spent on zoo improvement, said Councillor W. H. Bennett, ha would support the expenditure of the money as proposed. . ... Councillor J. Burns said his personal view was that the best thing would be to "empty the whole box of tricks out," but the citizens had decided that there should be a zoo, and it was the council's duty to maintain it in decent order. The work proposed was absolutely necessary. , ■ The council had had to reconsider a good many decisions, said Councillor W. Appleton: ■ -The £200 could be very much'better'spent in taking over the children's playground in Adelaide Eoad, or in improving roads in many parts of the city. He was absolutely against spending the money as proposed. . The Eeserves Committee had been two years in saving up the money and should be allowed to use it, said Councillor W. Duncan. Sunday takings should be spent on zoo improvements as was promised by the council,, said Councillor Holm.' :-' Councillor Huggins .disputed tha statement that such a promise had been made. . • -,

In reply, Councillor "Wallace said it was a previous council that gave the promise that was so much talked about, and there -was no undertaking on;the voting paper. The matter '. should ho considered in the light of present circumstances and not from the ,point of view of what was, a good thing ia prosperous times.

The vote was 10 to 5 in favour of spending the money, Councillor Semple remarking: ''Well, the monkeys haya a lot of friends here."- .~ ' ~: