THE RICCARTON BUSH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14169, 18 September 1906, Page 4

THE RICCARTON BUSH.

AN APPEAL TO COUNCILS AND THE PEOPLE. At last night’s meeting of the City l Council a letter was read frcm_ Mr G. T. Booth, chairman of the Rioeartoui Bush Committee, asking for the Council’s sympathy with the movement _ for acquiring the bush. The sum required was about £SOOO, and the Government! had agreed to give £ISOO. It was suggested that the balance of £3500 should be divided into three equal parts, one-third to be contributed by the City Council, one-third by the Selwyn County Council, and the restl by public subscription. Messrs Booth, W. Reece, A. Kaye and Dr Cockayne waited on the Council and urged it-to agree to the proposals. Mr Booth said that they represented the committee, which, asked the Council to take the matter in hand. He highly praised the Deans family for the manner in which it had preserved the bush, but said that the bush should no. longer he left in private hands. He showed that Christchurch was not well endowed in respect to native bushThere was a danger of the bush being; lost to the public for ever. The Council should help in preserving it. If the Deans family parted with the bush, it would only be on the condition that it was made a public reserve for all time. There were sixteen acres, or a little more. The price was £3OO an; acre, making, roughly, £SOOO for all expenses. He believed that the committee had fair prospects* of success in appealing to the public for a contribution. The price waa not exorbitant. . Dr Cockayne said that the Council, in its decision, would be judged not only by people of the present day, but by future generations. In other countries! large cities did not hesitate for five minutes in securing native bush close to their boundaries'. Mr Booth said that the Council’s contribution of one-third: would probably be about £I2OO, it would certainly nob exceed £ISOO. In reply to Councillor Hadfield, Mr* Booth said that there would be strict regulations to protect the trees from the public if the bush was purchased. The idea was to give the public access, with due regard to the -preservation of the plants. It .was.intendod that th© Deans family should have the right to nominate two trustees to the Board appointed to lock, after the bush. Ho thought that the Board should havethe right to charge for admission, aft any rat© on certain days, so as to meet' the cost of maintenance. In reply to Councillor- Payling, Mr.. Booth said that it was proposed to hav« eight trustees. The Deans family, who were not anxious to sell, and had to be persuaded to make the offer, also stipulated for the - right of access to the bush. . Councillor Allison, moved that a special committee should be set up to consider the proposal and the committee to consist of Councillors Payling, Loughnan, Chick, Otley, and the mover. Ho thought that a special Act of Parliament would have to be passed to enable the Council to make the pun-, chase in conjunction with other bodies. Councillor Cooper seconded the motion, Councillor Seagermoved, as an amendment, that the Council should heartily support the purchase of. the: bush, and was willing to contribute towards it. Councillor Gapes seconded th© amend ment. Councillor Payling said that th« Council had refused to contribute towards other reserves outside of Christchurch. The sum of £3OO an acre waa the full value of the land, or more. If the hush was to-be locked, and could not be seen, there was little good in preserving it. After the Deans family had been paid £3OO an acre,-he did not see why they should be represented on the Board, Those who paid the money alone should have the right of representation. The Council had plenty of reserves within its own boundaries. Ai chairman of th© Reserves Committee, he said that he found difficulty in getting sufficient money to spend on existing reserves. He was not in favour of the Council spending £I2OO or £ISOO on an outside reserve. Th© Council should look after its own reserves before spending money outside. Councillors Hadfield and Neate opposed the amendment. The Mayor said that he had no doubt that the Council had full right to make the purchase, and quoted the Act in support of his contention. It was desirable to send th© proposal to a committee. His sympathies were in th© direction of preserving the bush. It would be a discredit to the present generation if such an interesting piece of na+iv© bush was lost. The amendment was lest, and thr motion, v ”