PARK SUPERINTENDENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20520, 22 March 1930, Page 13

PARK SUPERINTENDENT

MR. T. HORTON'S POSITION.

THE ALLEGED OVERTURES. REPORT WHOLLY DENIED. The report emanating from Taranaki that representatives of the Auckland City Council had made fruitless overtures to Mr. T. llorton, superintendent of Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, in the hope of securing his services as superintendent of parks and reserves, was completely denied yesterday by the .Mayor, Mr,. G. Baildon, and others concerned. The Mayor stated that neither he nor the chairman of the Parks Committee had ever met Mr. Horton. The council had appointed Mr. T. S. Aldridge, superintendent of the zoo, to be acting-superin-tendent of parks until October 1 next. No permanent appointment had yet been made.

Mr. J. B. Paterson, chairman of the Parks Committee, said all he knew of the matter was that after returning from a visit to Wellington he found that a telegram dated March 7 had been received at the Town Hall, stating that Mr. T. Horton would like to see him on March 8. He had never seen or spoken to Mr. Horton.

Included in the report was a statement that two representatives of the Institute of Horticulture were to wait on the Mayor of Auckland in the hope of removing certain conditions of appointment to which Mr. Horton objected. This was denied yesterday by Mr. N. R. W. Thomas, secretary of the Auckland council of the institute, who described it as an utter fabrication. His council had decided to offer the City Council general assistance, but had not considered the qualifications of any particular candidate.