Monthly Meeting of the Stratford

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 384, 16 March 1937, Page 5

Monthly Meeting of the Stratford

Borough Council

PARK MAINTENANCE.

Additional Labour Asked For. The r. ’nthly meeting of the Stratford Domain Board was held last night. Present were: The Deputy-Mayor, Councillor W. P. P. Gordon, Councillors C. R. Finnerty, A. H. Trotter, R. F. Harkness, C. Speck, A. H. Nelson, and Messrs. H. C. Johnson and G. D. Hunter, advisory members. The caretaker, Mr E. P. Blanchard reported that the horehound and Californian thistle growing on the camp site in King Edward Park had been cut for the second time this season. To retard growth, he suggested a strong spraying of sodium chlorate. The digging of the nursery had now been completed and the men were Working on a general tidying-up and the pulling of young sycamores in the Band Rotunda reserve. The board decided to have the horehound sprayed. "“It was contrary to the spirit of the arrangement to place unemployed on maintenance work," said Councillor Gordon, when referring to a request from the caretaker that some of the men on King Edward Park be placed on Victoria Park. The caretaker stated that on account of the wet weather it was not possible to keep the park in proper order with the labour available. It was resolved to ask the care- ‘ taker to bring down a report on the work yet to be done at King Edward Park. Councillor Finnerty said it was impossible to care for the parks with the present staff. It was resolved to employ another man for a month to assist the care taker. The works committee is to be asked to bring down a report in connection with the expenditure on the parks. “We have not sufficient labour to keep the parks in order, and we should be careful about enlarging the parks,” said Councillor Finnerty. “This borough is building on a future population that the town will never have,” he added. The Stratford Men’s Hockey Club was granted the use of Victoria Park for the coming season. Appreciation of the facilities at the camp site and of the assistance given at the annual picnic was expressed in a letter from the combined Opunake Sunday schools.