DOMAIN BOARD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 53, 8 April 1914, Page 5

DOMAIN BOARD.

YESTERDAY'S MEETING. A meeting of the Domain Board was held yesterday afternoon, when there were present: Mr J. Beswick (chairman), Messrs J. Jamieson, H. Holland, G. Harper, J. M'Cullough, W. H Cooper, and S. A. Staples. At the commencement of the meeting the chairman referred to* the strictures passed on the board at the last meeting of the Canterbury Eugby Union, and said that the statement that the board had ever refused to assist football clubs was entirely contrary to fact. At no time had a football club ever approached the board in vain with a reasonable request. Last winter; the Eugby Union had approached the board with a view to getting playing areas; over the piece of ground now laid down: in potatoes. The board had endeavoured to meet the union in every way, and had even offered to subsidise the union for work done in preparing the ground. Negotiations were carried oxy' for a couple of months, and then' the union dropped the business, with the result that the board suffered through havifig to plant its potatoes late in the season. The chairman said he was surprised that officers of the union's executive should have made "statements having so slight; a basis in fact. • The chairman also to the fact that this month was the end of . the present boarcT's term of office, and that the Governor in Council-had to define the board *s of rating now that it had been created a body, with power to levy rates. It would be necessary to show a statement of receipts and expenditure to enable the authorities to estimate the amount of rates required —On the motion of Mr Staples it was decided to form a - committee consisting of the chairman, Mr H. Holland, Mr Harper, and Mr' Staples, to investigate the board's receipts and expenditure, so as to arrive at -the necessary estimate. It was also decided, on the motion of Mr S. A. Staples, seconded by Mr J. Jamieson, to recommend Mr J. C. Griefson as a member of the in the' place of Dr Cockayne, resigned.

CORRESPONDENCE.

* The Canterbury College Tennis Club applied for permission to connect their grounds with the high-pressure water supply. The chairman stated that he had granted permission, and his action was approved. The Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, in reply to a request from the r board' for reasons , for the destruction of an araucaria tree in fthe society's gardens, that, the tree had not Ibeen destroyed, but had died. Objection was made to the felling .of three trees, on the ground that , they, were the roosting place of < wood-duck, j and that on a previous occasion the board had: removed valuable timber front the society's grounds, and had left thp society to clear away the debris. ; Members generally .objected to the tone of the letter, and disagreement with the attitude of the society. Mr Staples said the board should exert its influence to get the society to clean up its and water-courses,: which in many cases were in a disgraceful condition. It was decided to receive the letter, and, while insisting that the board's requirements must be attended to, to reply that the tone of the Society's letter was considered objectionable. The Addington Burgesses' Association wrote expressing appreciation. at the removal of the bridge round South Park, and its replacement by an; iron fence.—Received. The Christchurch Football Club asked the board to postpone the destruction

of the club's old pavilion in North Park. s - The chairman said he understood that the place had been cleaned, repainted, and provided with locks;/ the intention of the board was to get the . club to take some action, and since it had done so he thought the request should be agreed to. A motionrto that effect was adopted. ' The Defence Department applied for the use of a part of Hagley Park 'for the purpose of holding a parade on the occasion of General Sir lan Hamilton's inspection of troops on May. 2. * Granted, subject to the grounds-being left in th*e same condition as found. The Canterbury Football Association wrote complaining that a trench cut across Hagley Park had been carelessly filled in, and asked the. board to put the ground in order.—lt was decided, to ask the Public Works Department, which was responsible for the tretfch, ,• to put the filling in proper order Miss Steele, lessee of the Domain Tea Kiosk, stated \ that she intended giving up the business of running the Kiosk, for the reason-that the receipts were not in proportion to the expendi- • ture, and asked the board to her from the termß of her lease. —It Was • decided to grant the request, and to call freshtenders for the lease. „ Dr L. Cockayne wrote tendering his resignation as a member, of the board/* consequent oh his removal to Wellington, and expressed his willingness to 5 do anything in his power to advance the interests of the board and the'Do- -'• main.T—The resignation was accepted- ■ with regret, and the board's apprecia- - tion of the services rendered by Dr' - Cockayne in the past was placed an record. - Ordinary work for the past month was reported on by the cura'tor. Gifts of plants from Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, Hon. >- R. Hi Rhodes, Otahuna, and Mrs "Carey- ■ Hill were' acknowledged. It was also stated that orchid blooms had been- . stolen from the orchid„ house,, and warnings against taking the flowers had been posted up.—The report was received, and it was decided to thank the donors of plants. Accounts amounting to £256 1/4 were passed for payment. As the board had several financial matters to arrange be-,-fore it went out of office, and as its en- '■> dowments would not be required under , the rating system, it was decided to 'ask » , the trustees of the endowments to raise , - tlie sum of £3OO on them. ,'V • •