THE JUBILEE QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 7198, 28 April 1887, Page 2

THE JUBILEE QUESTION.

The adjourned meeting to consider the question of the celebration in Dunedin of the Queen's Jubilee was held at the Choral Hall last evening. There were about seventy persons present, and the Mayor presided. The Ohaibman, after reading a letter of apology from Mr J. Wilkie for unavoidable nonattendance and stating that be was in favor of the Park scheme, said that he did not intend to advocate his own views on the question that night, but would content himself by prodding over the meeting. He might mention, however, that iu consequence of the very severe depression in this Colony for many years past it could not be expected at the present time that the people would respond as liberally to a proposal of this character as they would have done in better times; and the amount of contributions at the present time could not be taken as the measure of loyalty with which they might desire to support any movement that might be determined upon. He expressed regret at seeing Buch a small attendance, and hoped that that also might not be taken as showing the want of interest in this matter. It had been proposed that the meeting should hear all the different proposals and then vote on them one after another, reducing them to two, which could be put against one another.—(Applause.) Mr B. L. Stanford moved the adoption of the following resolutions:— "(1) That the Mayor be requested to declare the day appointed for the commemoration of the Queen's Jubilee a public holiday. (2) That the citizens be invited to illuminate their business premises in the principal thoroughfares of the City. (3) That the trade aM friendly societies and volunteers be requested to organise a procession, or to take such other steps as they may think desirable, with a view of celebrating Her Majesty's Jubilee." Mr £. Isaac seconded the motion, and suggested that on the Jubilee Diy the Corporation should illuminate the Octagon and the railway station reserve. Mr T, Brown moved —" That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable to commemorate the Queen's Jubilee by obtaining, planting, and appropriately naming a public Park in the City, and that a portion of the Town Belt be utilised for the purpose—say, that portion lying between the terminus of the Mornington and Roslyn tramway lines and centring in what is known as Tomlinson's paddock." In bringing forward the motion he said that the native bush which surrounded Dunedin was passing away, and it was scarcely possible to preserve it intact; while there was nothing at present that he could see to take its place. The scheme was an inexpensive one, and in adopting it they would he doing something not simply for themselves, but for visitors to the town, the aged and infirm, the young, and also the unborn, millions that they heard about—they would be doing for posterity something that certainly would mark the event it was intended to commemorate.

Mb Clifford asked if it was proposed in forming the park to do away with the present recreation'grounds which were used by the citizens for football and oricket. The punting of trees would beautify the Belt, but if the land was laid out in flowers and fenced in, he was afraid they would be acting rather injudiciously. Mb Beown said there was no intention to plant flowers. It was to be a park with trees. Mr A. Rsnnib seconded the motion, remarking that he believed the benefit arising from the park would be such as the greater portion of the people of Dunedin would avail themselves of.

Dr Stuart supported the motion, and expressed a hope that when the park was completed the land near the High School, which was in excellent condition for such a purpose, and a piece of ground at the north end of the Queen s Dtive would be made available. They would then have three excellent parks, and they could make them at very small cost. As to the convalescent home, he would be delighted to see one erected, but he agreed, with, the chairman that Dunedin could not afford to raise funds for such a home. Mr Bragg moved—"That a Free Publio library be instituted in commemoration of the Jubilee." In so doing he contended that the natural beauties which surrounded the City were quite sufficient to meet all demands in this direction.- On the other hand, there were a large number of people who came into tho City to look for work and hung about the streets because they had no place to go to. If there were a free library and reading-room those men, instead of obstructing the thoroughfares, would be able to take advantage of; all the literature got from the Australian colonies and from Home. The educational system of the Colony had cost between L 70.000 and LBo,ooofor educating 21,006 children, but after those children arrived at the age of fifteen they had no poaiibl« means of training themselves outside universities ; and how many could go there ? The time had come when a free publio library was an absolute necessity, and it might be looked upon as a valuable adjunct to technical education. Some'of the leading publio men in England at the present time owed their position to the fact that they bad been members of free public libraries. Referring to the financial part of the question, he Baid the rateable valne of the City and suburbs was L 433.215, and id rate in the £ levied on that valuation would bring in" There would be no difficulty, he believed, *in getting that, and if the City of Dunedin could be persuaded to adopt the Free Libraries Act of 1869, and, the Subsidies Act passed later on, they would have LI,OOO to maintain a free public library. The amounts which the suburbs would have to contribute would be—Caversham L3l, Mornington L 22165, Eoslyn L 24185, North-east Valley L2L, South "Dunedin L 23, St Kilda LlO, and Maori Hill Ll3. The expenses would be : For magazines and papers, L1Q0; books, L 20 0; gas, fuel, and cleaning, L 100; salaries, L 260; interest, L 25 2; leaving a balance for incidental expenditure of Lloo—making a total of LI.OOO, which he believed would be sufficient,

Mr H. Wabneb seconded the motion, remarking on the great benefits that would accrue to the working classes through the establishment of a free library. Mr Isaac called attention to the fact that the Athenaeum to a certain degree was a publio library, inasmuch as strangers could have one month's use of the institution. That, he thought, should be quite sufficient for a small town like Dunedin.—(" No, no.") They should lower the fee to 10s, and make it payable by quarterly instalments, which would be almost makingit free. Mr WOBTfriNGTON supported the motion, and said that he had frequently' heard it deplored that they had not such an institution as a free library. They took piide in saying that "they were the leading people of the Colony in Dunedin, but thoy were not so in that respect Mr W. M. Hodgkins, as mover of the amendment about the art gallery at the previous meeting, said he did not intend to offer any proposal for the acceptance of the meeting, as since the first meeting he had made certain inquiries in respect 6f the feasibility of the scheme. He had ascertained from the museum authorities, that there was no plan from which a correct estimate could be made of what the art gallery would cost; and he thought that, looking at the depression in D,unedin*t the present time, funds were not likely to be obtained. Mr Brown's scheme was one which appeared to httn to be far more simple and far more easy of accomplishment. Mr K. Rahsay. had a great deal of sympathy with Mr Bragg's proposal, but' thought'they would never get beyond passing the resolutions; if even they did that. He did not think that the v circumstances of Dunedin were such at present that tins movement could be initiated with a fair prospect of success." He would be very happy when the time came—when'" business was better than it was now and there was more Inclination and ability to subscribe—to exert himself ' towards the establishment of a public library in Dunedin. The mere passing of such a resolution to-night would have no practical effect, for the citizens would require to adopt the Libraries Act before any action could be token, and he did not think that in the flee of the prospects of business the people would at the present time endorse this proposition. Mr Brown's proposal was an excellent one; Nb doubt they had a very beautiful belt and reserves scattered about the City, but there was little doubt that the Town Belt was being shorn of its beauty. The Corporation'either had pa power or will to look after the Town Belt properly; and one result of Mr Brown's scheme would be not only to improve the Town Beltj but the reserves would be better looked after than they had been in the past. Dr Colquhoun suggested that the memorial should take a charitable form, and that"the first question they should ask was: Are the poor sick of the town and district sufficiently well cared for? From what he knetfof the matter he could say that they were not 'sufficiently well provided for. They were, as it were, between the Devil and the deep sea, for between the Government In Wellington and the local rates they very often fell to the ground. People said there was no use In giving' to charities, because they were taxed for it, and others said in was the business of the Government to keep tip these institutions.' The result was that all''such institutions were hampered for the want of funds. The Hospital was not a suitable building, and the nursing staff was both inefficient and insufficient; The building, too, was so badly arranged that there was no-place to isolate siok patients; and it was not a very long time ago since a' lunatic, who was removed from the wards tofheo&l below; committed suicide. ' 1&* one couEn*be blamed in the matter 1 , and the questito was whether a raving' lunatic should *e Ipdlowed to disturb'the patients or be put into one of these cells. Neither was there a children's ward, and so children had.to be put into MSXBSiun

wards, *here they Lewd {"WW*?* things which cliildren should neither see nor hear! He had purposely somewhat vague, because t was ™P«» b } e hj *? -fl how much money would bo collected but if it were carried, a committee of reliably men could be"nt'rusted with the fund, and could make inquiries in the direction he had indicated, orTn connection with the other charitable institutions. Movements had been made m that direction in connection with the celebration of the Queen's Jubilee m other narts of th« world. The Loudon 'Times had advocated the raising of L 1.000,000 for the hospitals of London, and in Melbourne Lady Loch had suggested a fund for distressed women. In different parts of New Zealand, too, similar schemes had been advocated, and would probably be carried out. A3 to the free library proposed, he might, as a member of the Athenoeum Committee, say that Mr Bragg's estimate was quite insufficient, as for such a project they would want L 5.000 on hand and at least L 2.000 a-year to keep it going in anything like efficiency. However, if Mr Bragg's proposal was carried, he would cordially work with it; and if not, he hoped that what he had said would only be the beginning of a strong determined effort to obtain a free public library for Dunedin. Mr P. Mallard supported the library proposal, as calculated to do the greatest good to the greatest number. Mr A. Solomon said a convalescent home could easily be established in connection with the Benevolent Institution. The coat oferecting such a place would be about L3,Wv, ana Buchasum, he believed, could be very easily raised. He would be very glad to give twenty guineas towards it. .... ,_ Mr H. J. Walter thought all the proposals were good, but he was in favor of Mr Brown s, as the scheme would be very inexpensive. W ltn regard to the free library question, he would suggest that they get the City and the suburban municipalities to amalgamate, and they would Eoon get a library. . The Chairman said that beforo putting the motions to the meeting, as no motion had bcon made about the Imperial Institute, he desired to say that he would be glad to receive any subscriptions from citizens and forward them to the proper quarter. i)r Colquhoun's motion was then put as against Mr Brown's and was lost, the hands held up being 10 and 43 respectively. Mr Bragg's motion was then put as against Mr Brown'*, and the numbers were: For Mr Brown's motien, 48; for Mr Bragg's motion, 43. Mr Ramsay then moved the following resolution:-" That in order to carry out the j operations dt scribed in the first resolution, a committee of citizens be appointed to collect the necessary funds and to carry out the work under the sanction of the City Council; the committee to consist of Messrs Thomas Brown, Alexander Bathgate, Dr William Brown, Messrs Robert Chisholm, M. Cohen, F. R. Chapman, J. E. Denniston, G. P. Farquhar, George Fenwick, J. Hazlett, W. M. Hodgkins, W. Henderson, Hugh M'Neil, Dr I'elcher, Dr Colquhoun, Mr N. Y. A. Wales, Bishop Nevill, Professor Parker. Messrs A. S. Paterson, Keith Ramsay, G. A. Reade, J. R. Sinclair, Stewart, Rev. Dr Stuart, Messrs J. C. Thomson, William Thomson, E. E. N. Twopeny, H. J. Walter, James Wilkie, Alexander Wilson, with power to add. iv'r Allan seconded the motion. The Chairman said he had kympathy with Mr Bragg's motion, and he would make an effort during his term of office to induce steps being taken to establish a Free Library. Mr Bragg thought the Mayoi's remarks were proper in view of the closoness of the division. In his opinion, had there beon a full and representative meeting, the present minority would have been in a majority. The proceedings then concluded. ANOTHER SCHEME, The following communication from Mr Mills, M.H.R, was received by the Mayor this mornWg :_ " Dunedin, 26th April, 1887. His Worship the Mayor, Chairman Jubileo Celebration Meeting. Dear Sir.—l regret that I was not able to be present at the preliminary meeting of citizens held lor the purpose of discussing the best method of oommemoratin' the Jubilee of our Queen ; nor can I attend future meetings. I should like, howovor. to Offer a suggestion for your consideration. Charl.y begins at home, and I think the loyalty of our Citizens would bo aroußed to more purpose In favor of any scheme which promised some immediate benefit in the shape of employment for some of those amon' us who need it so badly. This way seem to be a very narrow view to take, but 1 think, under the existing circumstances of the place, wo are justified in doing so. Either a public library or an at ga lery would form a very appropriate memorial, but a large outlay would be involved, and much of it—that R for books and pUttut s -wou d »e expended out of the country, and only a few would really appreciate them Indeed, we havo already a valua le librarv in the Athcweum, which could well be made free, or with only a nominal chargo. to .those not requiring the privilcgo of taking books away. On the other hand, the formation of a park or pleasuro ground would afford immediate employment, and when completed would be a souros of pleasure to the mass of the people. The idea c-f a park on the Town Belt has much to commend it, but I would prefer to mmi something done at the Ooeau Beach. This would benefit the residents of the southern muidcipa'ities as well as of Dunedin, and they, as well as the City Tram Company, could be fairly aikid to mhscribe. I would suggest the erection of a sea-wall of sheet piling, commencing at the St Clair end of Fn'l'U'y road, and extending northwjrJs as far as practicable. The tops of the sandhills could then be levelled, >-nd, alter some preparation, sown in grass, as has I ecn dono so succes fully at Tahuna Park. This would form a most attractive pUco of resort, where people could enjoy tho sight and sound of the sea without tho necessity of ploughing through the Band as at present. If funds pcrmittod the road might be formed from the Grand Paoiflp to Forbury road, behind tho now esplanade, and so a capital ride and drivo afforded to tho citizens along the bay road by way of Queen's Drive, Victoria avenue, aud back by Forbury road and Caversham It has always been a marvel to me why this beautiful beach has not been more frequented, and I feel sure if tho surroundings wore made moro attractive in the way I euggest great numbers would be drawn ihore. A few thousands would go a long way at this work, as It would not raiu/ire skilled Of course, it would be inadvisable to undortake it purely from nublio subscriptions, and as it would benefit tho Tramway Company largely I would suggest that they be asked to contribute £ for £, and the City and suburban municipalities also £ for £. 'n this way every subsoriber would feel tbat his pound was equal to throe, and would give more freely. I feel sure thousands would find their way to such a spot in the evenings throughout the summer, and il the Tram Company wero to arrange tor one of our City bands to play iu the evenings they would find the benefit in largely-augmented oarnings.-rl am, eto , JAMSS HILU3.