DOMAIN BOARD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6091, 31 January 1898, Page 3

DOMAIN BOARD.

» ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Christchurch Domain Board was held in the City Council Chambers at noon to-day ; present —Messrs W. Jacques (Chairman), H. P. Murray-Aynsley, E. J. S. Harman, the Mayors of Sydenham and St Albans. Apology was made for the absence of the Mayor of Christchurch. The balance-sheet for the year 1897 showed the receipts for the year to have been .£651 11s, including balance from the previous year .£33 9s 7d. The expenditure had been .£670 4s 4d, leaving a debit balance of .£lB 13s 4d. The assets were amount on mortgage, .£1000; in hand awaiting investment, .£2000 ; interest, rents, &c, £45 6s ; total, .£3045 6s. The liabilities were £44 11s. The balance-sheet was adopted. The annual report of the head gardener, Mr A. L. Taylor, gave an account of the recent fire in the Domain, and stated that the Fire Brigade and many others deserved the highest praise for their efforts in extinguishing the fire. It would be some time before it would be possible to estimate the whole loss, but from present appearances very few of the specimens would be of any service or ornament to the gardens. The commonest of the shrubs would be some time before any satisfactory recovery would accrue. . . . . Mr Murray-Aynsley moved — "That the thanks of the Domain Board be given to the Christchurch Fire Brigade, and that a donation of £2 2s be made to their funds, with an expression of regret that the funds of the Board will not allow of a larger amount being given." The Mayor of Sydenham seconded the , motion, which was carried unanimously. j The sum of 10s was voted to each of the , four men employed during the night after the fire, and also the amount of expenses incurred by Mr Taylor. The report was adopted. Mr Jacques was unanimously re-elected chairman. In returning thanks for his election, he urged that the public should do somewhat to support the Public Gardens, and thought that an appeal might be made to them. He also thought that, perhaps, something might be done to obtain a share of the grant made by the Government for domains. The present financial position of the Board was not satisfactory, and the estimates for the coming year showed that there would be a probable deficiency at the end of the year of .£139. The difficulty was partly owing to the fact that the Boardhad been unable to find investments for the £2000, which was in the bank, and had practically been lyin°idle for six months. The Chairman was authorised to grant permission to the Government to collect seeds in the domain for the railway plantations, provided that the Board was not put to any expense in the matter. The question of dealing with the burned area was left in the hands of the chairman, it being understood that he should endeavour to let it for cropping in potaThe meeting then closed.