SHOULD COUNCIL OR ITS CURATOR DECIDE POLICY ?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18581, 2 October 1928, Page 5

SHOULD COUNCIL OR ITS CURATOR DECIDE POLICY ?

GIFT OF TREES FROM MR OWEN RAISES

IMPORTANT QUESTION,

A question as to whether the curator or the council should decide the policy in regard to the planting of trees cropped up at last night’s meeting of the City Council, when a gift of trees from Mr R. B. Owen was under discussion. Councillor Clyde Carr, chairman oi the Reserves Committee, said that Mr Owen. had presented some ornamental trees to the council, and he desired that they should be transferred to the council’s nursery in Linwood Park and also that, when they were being planted on the river bank, he should be eon suited on the matter. Councillor Carr moved that the gift be accepted subject to those conditions. Councillor J. W. Roberts seconded the motion. “There is a great deal at the bad; of this matter; in the first place, Councillor Carr could have said a good deal more than he did say,” remarked Councillor J. W. Beanland. Councillor Carr: I didn't wish to. Councillor Beanland went on to say that he thought Mr Owen was goin* a bit too far in saying what should be done by the council in thfc mat ter. Were they going to go past the curator in the matter? Was his advict to be taken, or was the council going to take Mr Owen's advice ? When M Owen said, “ I give these trees, but they have got to be placed where 1 r.ay,” he was going too far. Councillor Carr: All Mr Owen asks is that he should be consulted when the trees are placed on the river-banks. Councillor Beanland: In the first place, Mr Owen wants the trees placed in the Linwood nursery. “I quite agree that we cannot alloy Mr Owen to dictate any decisions tc the c ouncil; we can’t allow him to over ride Mr Young,” said the Mayor, the Rev J. K. Archer. “Mr Owen canno dictate either to us or to our curator We are going to have a new superin tendent of reserves shortly, and whei he comes he should have a free hand I think I know as much about tree as Mr Owen. If he wants to give u: £25, he should give it to us and leave it at that.’*

Councillor Carr said it was a ver} common thing and a usual thing foi people, when making a gift to the city to express a wish that it should be used in a certain way. If the Justices of the Peace Association had expressed a wish the bust of the late Mi C. M. Gray should have been placed in a certain position, that wish woulc have received courteous consideration Councillors: But they did not do so After some discussion and a state nient by Councillor Carr, the Mayo: said that he refused to accept Mr Owen’s gift on the terms proposed. Councillor G. Manning moved that the matter be referred to the Reserves Committee. Councillor Carr: We will lose the trees if there is any delay. Councillor Manning: It appears to me that there is more in this matter than has come out in the discussion. Councillor E. 11. Andrews asked whether it was necessary to move the trees at all. Councillor Carr said that the trees were on property that was up for sale. If the council wanted the trees it should shift them at once. Councillor Elizabeth M Combs said that it seemed that it was a case of a lot of councillors instructing a gardener, which was a piece of impertinence. Councillors: Hear, hear. The Mayor said that the proper person to say where the trees should go was the curator. Councillor Carr asked whether it was the function of the curator or the council to dictate the policy of the council in regard to the council’s reserves. If the curator was above the council, then he would resign from the council. Councillor F. R. Cooke said that it appeared to him that the council was passing a vote of censure on the chairman of the Reserves Committee. Councillor Why do certain councillors assume that Mr Young won’t plant them in the Linwood nursery? Councillor Carr: Because we know him. Councillor R. M. Macfarlane asked how it came about that some of the trees had been planted on the sandhills. Councillor Carr said that the trees were planted there contrary to his advice and his instructions. The Mayqr said that the}’- all knew what was at the back of the matter. They knew the attitude of Mr Owen towards Mr Young. An amendment, moved by the Mayor, that the trees should be accepted unconditionally was defeated by eight votes to six. The voting was as follows : Ayes—The Mayor and Councillors M’Combs, Andrew's, Lyons, Beaven and Beanland. # Noes —Councillors Carr, Cooke, Butterfield, Macfarlane, Roberts, Manning, Sharpe and Herbert. The motion was then carried on the voices. When the result of the division was announced by the Mayor, Councillor Beanland remarked: “That shows that Mr Owen runs this city ”