COUNTING THE COST.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12376, 9 February 1911, Page 7

COUNTING THE COST.

BOTANICAL GARDEN IX THE MAKING. Less than £10 remains of the sum (£250) originally set- apart for the transformation of the Carnarvon street recreation ground into a botanical garden, so the Mayor announced last * night. (This is after deducting proportion pi cost of loan notation, etc.) Tlie Mayor, \n view of this position, moved last night that the work be left as at present, and that the remaining money be spent on sowing down the ground. The real object of the money, he said, had been to pay the wages of the gardener and for tree planting. Instead of tliat, tlie money had been spent m removin,'z ornamental trees, on an expensive tool-house, and levelling. There was no money left to plant the trees. Or Pettio said he did not agree with the Mayor m his statement that the work done was not of a beneficial nature; Ho considered it was really good work, carried out under expert advice. He reminded Councillors that nn inspection last winter had resulted m finding the ground exceedingly sour, and unfit for planting. The matter had been gone into thoroughly, and the work since carried out had been decided upon. Any unprejudiced man must acknowledge that good work had been done, although ; one could not realise the amount of work that. had been put m to bring the reserve into its present .state. For any man io say the money had been thrown away was absurd and ridiculous. It was the duty of the Council, now they, had -spent up to the limit,; to keep the ground m proper order. Ho had thought tjiat if there was one thing the Mayor would not have been able to cavil* at, , it wou^d have been the botanical gardens. Nothing, however, had pleased the Mayor, aj*d all he .said was that the money had been thrown away. "Shame on you," declared Cr Pettie, heatedly. "Tito future will show that good work has been done." Cr Darton said he had been "interested m the ground for years, and there. were few men who knew more of the difficulties of making the ground than himself. Formerly the ground had been a bog ih winter time, whilst the grass was only fit for a hay paddock. They had taken expert advice as to how tp improve the ground,' and they were following that out. The first step was to prepare the ground, and that had been done, so that people would be able to walk m it at all times of' the year. Every botanical garden had to have its nursery beds, and to provide these had, been an expensive undertaking, necessitating 'the 1 removal of several dilapidated ( trees. From his personal experience, he declared the work was well and economically done.. The amount provided was' insufficient.' He was not going to stop until .they had. a beauty spot • there were public-spirited men m Gisborne who had formerly contributed to such work, and they were prepared to do so again if the work was subsidised by the Council. Nothing required to be done till March, when he hoped that a substantial sum would be placed . on the estimates .to sow the ground down. ' The Mayor said it was a mistake to say that he did not acknowledge ther"} had been some benefit from the expenditure. The intention had simply been to pay the wages of a man and for the planting of trees. The expenditure had been carried out regardless of the amount available — £250. Or Collins pointed out that the voting paper expressly specified the making of recreation grounds and botanical gardens. Or Sheridan pointed out that the Council was advised the trees would not grow there unless the work was done. The Mayor affirmed that the main object had failed. Cr Collins said it was a reflection on the Committee and the experts whj| had advised them. The motion was agreed to. Regarding the Childers road reserve, the Mayor intimated he wo'uldgivenotica, of motion to carry out the original scheme, and not to attempt to raise the levels.