KENSINGTON PARK RATES.

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1916, Page 2

KENSINGTON PARK RATES.

THE QUESTION OF REMISSION.

FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS

SUGGESTED.

Speaking upon the proposal to adopt

the report and balance-sheet at the

annual meeting of the Whangarei A. and P. Society, Mr H. Weaver alluded to the large sum (£109) which the Society had to pay. for rates this year and read a' letter, which had been addressed to the chairman from the Borough Council some months ago.

suggesting the possibility of some ar-

rangement whereby the park could be exempt from rates, or the rates con-

siderably reduced. This letter, argued Mr Weaver, was of great importance, and possibly, had it been acted upon, the rates the Society had paid this year would have been remitted in part or whole.

The chairman replied that he received the letter and at once telephoned the Borough Council expressing the readiness of the Society's representatives to meet the Borough Council. He received a reply from the Borough Council, which had been filed, and h e asked the secretary to read it. This reply stated that the Mayor was away, and the matter might stand over till he returned. "This," said the chairman, "left it for the Council to approach us, and intimate when they were ready, but we have never had any communication since. We,were quite prepared to enter into negotiations, but they never replied." At on e time the A. and P. Society promoted a Bill to get exemption from rates for Kensington Park, and he was one who intended to go down to Wellington to support the progress of the Bill, but it was suddenly dropped. He had asked the solicitor who authorised the "dropping of the Bill, and had not received a reply.

Mr Weaver said it was dropped'because th e negotiations with the Borough Council, seemed, just at that time, to promise a solution of the problem, Avithout a Bill. He contended that the Borough Council's letter should have been brought down to the park committee. It was too important to be passed over. The chairman said a committee had been set up to deal with these negotiations, and therefore it did not belong to the park committee to deal with the matter.

Mr Holmes did not think ther e was any such things as a general committee. There were only two committees, a show committee and a. park committee.

Mr Alec. McLeod (Hikurangi) said! it was an important matter, dealing; with the very thing the Society wanted to get settled. The Society always wished to make the park as free as possible for the use of the public. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Wilson thought it was not at all too late to take up the matter now. If it were taken up now, and handled properly he felt sure the Society would obtain a rebate. The Borough Council was not antagonistic. . There had been some confusion, ,but it could be set right. He had thought the show committee having th e rates to pay, was the body to make request to, the Council for remission of rates, as. they did by recent deputation.

Mr Holmes said that what the Council wanted was some control. He described the dangerous condition of the road leading to the park and said it would cost the borough £500 to put it in good condition. That,work was the first work on the Council's road programme. But it was not reasonable that they should spend £'500 on a road leading, to a park over which they had no control, and remit the rates as well. If the Council could have any control over the park, he thought the road would be undertaken at once. As to the rates he was clear that if the Council took the rates, they ought to do the road. Regarding the letter, alluded to by the chairman, he thought, after the intimation that the Mayor was away, the. next step lay with the Council.