The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1920. CARNIVAL PARK.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 2499, 14 June 1920, Page 4

The Pahiatua Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, JUNE 14, 1920. CARNIVAL PARK.

A good ileal of interest is being manifested ijj the poll of County ratepayers which is to be taken to-morrow <,n a proposal that a rate should be iei ied to produce the sum of £l5O per annum, which money is proposed to be devoted to the upkeep of the Carnival Park. At the end ol the last Parliamentary session, through the efiorts of the then sitting member toilin' district, Mr (1. H. Smith, a clause was included in the "Washing-up Bill” giving power to strike the. proposed rate in both tile County and Borough of Pahiatua. Should the poll be carried to-morrow .ste|*- will lx* taken immediately to similarly test the feeling ,of the Borough ratepayers. The rate will lx- levied and i-ol-leeted with the ordinary rates, for a, jx-iiod ol lit years, and will produce ><■ sum ol £3OO (£l5O each front the County and Borough) ]>er annum, which, it is anticipated will be t-uffie-ient for the proper upkeep of the 1 ark. We feel sure that the |x>ll will be carried by a large majority. b<--can.se tin- proposed rate offers the only certain means of assuring the finances of the Domain Board, which has hitherto been dependent upon public subscriptions No-one who has s«-en the condition ol ihx-ay with which the Park has fallen during the last t’.vi-lvc months can fail to be tilled with regrets. The umv beautiful gardens have vanished. the shady ia.kek-t. where swans were wont to glide is nothing hut a mud-hole : fenees are brokt n. fallen limbs of (ices are obstructng the one*' trim paths. The beauty sjx>t which only i tear ago was acclaimed by vi-iting journalist- as a rnxlit to lilt- jx-oplc o! Pahiatua. is now a disgrace to them anil a monument to the legarthv and looli-.luk s.sol the iesi-lcnts who-c pride : should lie. Carnival Park lx came the property of the people through the lorovisioii of those who had seen ; Ik- magnificent, I'ort x Mill- Bush vanish into smoke acre after acre. year alter year, and who realised that the patch of bush which is now tile Park represents practically the- last, of the tnagnitii-en t, forest which ones- clothed the hills and valleys of this district. It is a pirrleet pieoe of N<-w Zealand laisli, every typical tree being represented. and as such these who conceived the idea of converting it into a public domain deemed it worthy of preservation. It was so, and is so. and in the years to come when the hush has rolled still further hack, will lx- still niorc' valuable from the public viewpoint. We have seen public sent inii-iil rousixl by the ideal of preserving this jewel ol tin- forest. pouring forth the money to acquire it. and wo hate soon the place converted into a little' paradise- which it was a. pleasure to visit. Then, having once ■ttained thc> ideal. the- inevitable apathy set in; funds eeasc-d to inline forward, and tla- Park ooinnionoocl to go hack to tin l condition of neglect and decay in which it now is Public

giving is too uncertain a quality ti|xm I which to (lejx-nd. It the- Park is to | continue to till that place for which it' was intended, its affairs must lx-pine- 1 eil upon a concrete, business founda- | tkui. and the scheme of rating over i the' County and Borough offers the only solution of the difficulty. In view of these facts, we f«x-l that the, great majority of tin- ratepayers to-I morrow w ill assent to the proposal. Itmeans only n. few ponce per annum for the ordinary ratepayer, and but a shilling or two |x\r year for the biggest ratepayer in the district.. That the Borough ratepayers will follow the | lead of th«' County may lx* taken lor granted.