MEETING AT ANDERSON BAY.

Evening Star, Issue 11863, 17 April 1903, Page 3

MEETING AT ANDERSON BAY.

There was a largo and representative attendance at the meeting last evening of Anderson Bay residents in the Sunday schoolroom convened for the purpose of cor side .ing the propriety of parting with the _ control of their local cemetery, and handing it over to the City Corporation. Mr John White, who was unanimously elected as chairman, stated that the meeting had been convened at the instance of tie Cemetery Trustees, through their chairman (Mr Somerville), who happened to be absent that evening through some cause or other. He (Mr White) had anticipated his presence there that night. However, he would endeavor to put the question before them, and then it would be for them to move some resolution to give the Cemetery Trustees the lead in that particular matter. The proposition embodied in the letter had been considered before a special meeting of the Tnistees convened for that purpose, and bad been deemed of sufficient importance to warrant them in calling the residents together to take their opinion on the matter. Full publicity had been given to it, so that al. interested should know. He understood that the Trustees individually had no very strong opinions on the matter; at any rate collectively they had not come to any decision one way or the other. Speaking personally, he approached the question with an entirely free mind. He had not really made up his mind as to whether the control of the cemetery should be handed over to the City Council or not. He rather desired that they should approach the matter from the standpoint of the good of the district, and hand it over, as the mayor had put it to him on Wednesday, to become a cemetery for “ Barger Dunedin,” or whether they would rather prefer that the control should remain under local Trustees as at present. When the subject was first mooted it had seemed to him that they should hand it over, because if the City Council had it they would he able to expend a considerable sum of money from time to time in the way of improvements—i.e., beautifying and keeping it in order. That was the only inducement so far as he could see in favor of their handing it over. One thing needed badlv was a thorough draining of the soil, for" it was exceedingly wet, and really unfit for use in swne places ; and they could not hope vrith the small amount of money at their disposal to put it in such thorough order as wa ?.£? c lV lre 4 - There had also always been a difficulty in the matter of management. Mr Cordon had in the past looked after it—end was still kindly continuing to look.after considerable trouble and inconvenience to himself. He had no doubt these were difficulties that could be got over. He was quite aware of the fact that there was a very strong undercurrent of feeling against the proposal. Some objected because it might possibly come too near their premises, others because they were afraid it would bring too many funerals through the district, but he (Mr White) certainly thought' that we should not look at it 'from the purely selfish standpoint, but from the standpoint of the good of the district. Mr Begg moved—" That the Trustees he empowered to make this transfer, but not unconditionally.” They should first of all have a house erected on the ground and certain improvements effected—such as planting and fencing and draining—and, in his opinion, that would be taking a step in the right direction. The motion was then put in the following fonn:—“That the Trustees of the Anderson Bay Cemetery he empowered to transfer the control of the cemetery to the Dunedin City Corporation on conditions to be mutually agreed upon.”—Seconded hv Mr Gordon. • The Chairman, in answer to a question said the Trustees would see to it that those conditions were carried out, and that the City Council undertook to be bound by them before any steps were taken Mr Emery remarked that he had the best authority for it when he said that the City authorities would not have it were there conditions.

Sim thought that so far as their past experience of the City Corporation was concerned he did not think they would be desirable managers of this cemetery. The carrying out of such a proposal would mean the converting of Anderson Bay into a general cemetery for the whole Citv of Dunedin and suburbs. He did not think that a desirable state of affairs to bring about; moreover, he thought that the residents of Anderson Bay would be quite able to raise the amount of money necessary for draining, building the sexton's house, etc., but they bad not yet been informed what Etna would be required.. He certainly would vote against the proposal, and hoped that the residents would do the same.

Mr Munro opposed the motion, and considered that it would be an easy matter to procure someone to keep the ground in order for £ls per year. That was all a man got for looking after the Jewish Cemetery in Dunedin, and he was sure it was kept well. He looked upon the question of transferring it to the City Corporation as a great mistake.

Mr J. MacGregor spoke in favor of the motion. >

Mr Bennett favored the proposal, and considered that they were taking a very narrow view" of things by seeking°to monopolise so large an area of land so near Duncoin in that way when it was so urgenrly needed by the City. He regretted the present for.orn appearance of the cemetery. It was in a very unsatisfactory condition, and must remain in that state for years to come. It did not necessarily follow, in bis judgment, that the sole control would be handed over to the Council of Dunedin There was nothing to prevent them makincertain stipulations to the effect that a cer° tain proportion of the Trustees to be appointed should be residents of the district ; that a certain proportion of the Trustees of the cemetery would have to be residents of Anderson Bay or the Peninsula • that fees to residents of Anderson Bay should not be higher than at present; and that the mam entrance should be from the south-eastern end at the foot of Brookland road. That would remove an objection that probably weighed with a great many people. He, for one, faked to see any serious objection to the proposal; therefore he would support it.

Air Gallaway remarked that the subject bad been discussed that evening from two points of view—the commercial and the sentimental—and he used the latter term in its highest and best meaning. They surely were indebted to the Trustees for the manner in which they had brought uniler the notice of the residents the pecuniary advanwhich the district would gain by the currying of the proposition. In considering this matter they ought to banish from their minds entirely the commercial and pecuniary aspect of it. He was altogether unaware o’f the fact that the Trustees were in such an impecunious state as had been repres mr=d by several speakers that evening. The Chairman said that all the City Council asked them to do was to dedicate their cemetery t 0 “Greater Dunedin.” That was the crux of the position. On the motion being put—“ That the Trustees of the Anderson Bay Cemetery be empowered to transfer the control of the cemetery to the Dunedin City Corporation on conditions to be mutually agreed upon ” —it was negatived by 21 votes to 10

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