MATTER OF PRINCIPLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1939, Page 5

MATTER OF PRINCIPLE

FREE USE OF OPERA HOUSE

R.S.A, APPLICATION. TRUST LANDS TRUST POLICY. A matter of principle was involved in a discussion at the Trust Lands Trust last night regarding an application from the Wairarapa R.S.A. for a grant towards its funds. The association advised that a concert was to be staged at the Opera House to raise funds with which to entertain Australian ex-Service men, who would be visiting Masterton next year. As the association understood that the Trust could not make a reduction in the rental of the Opera House, it asked if a grant could be made towards the funds.

Stating that he was absolutely opposed on principle to making a grant to the R.S.A. for this specific purpose, as the Trust was not formed for making grants in that direction, Mr A. Owen Jones said perhaps the Opera House could be made available in the same way as it had been placed at the disposal of the Mayor for use on civic occasions. He wished to make it clear that he was supporting the appeal that the association was making and he hoped the whole of the people of Masterton would support it and was only too pleased to give the association every assistance possible.

Mr E. G. Eton considered Mr Jones’s suggestion a good one and thought that if the application came through the Mayor the use of the Opera House would be granted. On principle, they should not grant the use of the Opera House free of charge and it would be stretching the case a good deal to give a donation. He moved that a reply be sent to the association to the effect that if an application were made through the Mayor for the free use of the Opera House, the Trustees would give consideration to it. Mr J. .Macfarlane Laing: “I don’t know whether anybody is going to second it, Mr Chairman, but his Worship the Mayor has nothing to do with it.” Mr Laing said the application had nothing to do with a civic function; it was a charitable concert to provide funds. The only ground on which the Opera House could be granted free was for a civic function. They had laid it down as a matter of principle. The Trust had made a rebate equivalent to the rental in one or two exceptional cases. Mr J. H. Handyside said he opposed the motion as it was leaving the door very wide open to get free use of the Opera House through the Mayor, who would be inundated with applications He considered the Trust should not allow anything until it knew what success the appeal was meeting. Mr H. P. Hugo (chairman) said the Trust had had applications like this one before and they had been turned down. If they were going to allow applications to be made through the Mayor they would never know where it would stop. "I would much rather make them a refund or make them a grant,” he added. After further discussion Mr Eton’s motion was defeated. Mr Hugo suggested that the association should make application after the market was held, so that the Trust could see how they stood financially, when the Trust might consider making a refund of the rent.

Mr R. Krahagen: "What is the difference between a grant and a refund?" Mr Hugo: "It is the same thing only different."

After it had been pointed out by the secretary (Mr W. B. Yates) that the Trust could reduce the rent in certain cases, it was decided on the motion of Mr Krahagen, to allow the use of the Opera House at a rental of £2 10s or out of pocket expenses. It was stated that usually the charge was about £5 10s at least, £3 3s rental plus outgoings.