DOMAIN BOARD CRISIS

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14491, 14 October 1920, Page 5

DOMAIN BOARD CRISIS

MINISTER'S DILEMMA. CONFUSION WORSE CONFOUNDED. DISSENSION SPREADS TO COUNCIL. The action of the Minister of Lan Is (apparently acting on representation;,! In intimating his intention of adding three additional members to the Hamilton Domain Board, caused such an emphatic protest from ttie existing Boa.'d (including the resignation of three lihembers who have done much useful work) that the Minister, in something of a dilemma, referred the matter for advice to the Borough Council. The Council, realising the delicacy of the position, referred the matter to the Legal and Finance Committee, and last night the following recommendation was brought forward by the committee for the Council's confirmation: "Thai the Minister be notified that in the opinion of the Council the bD.ird as formerly constituted and as referred to In his letter of 11/2/20, is quite competent to carry on the work of the Board, and has the full confidence, of the large majority of the public of Hamilton, and that no addition to Hie number of members should De made." Cr. Barton said the committee went Into the question very thoroughly, and they thought this was the best decision to come to, as it would put the mailer really where it was before the trouble Brose.

The Mayor held a similar view. Cr. Lafferty asked if the Mayor was In'order in moving such a motion after the Council had passed a resolution (on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Tristram), asking the Minister to increase the number of members of the Board from five to nine. The Mayor ruled the matter in ■ rdcr. Board's Policy Criticised. Cr. Gruar considered the resolution not in accordance with fact or with public opinion. The Domain Bo.irj had adopted a new policy towards certain gports bodies, who considered they were not setting fair treatment, and they made out such a good case when they waited on the Council that he (personally i was in favour of an increase in the personnel of a board, which should be thoroughly representative of all the sports bodies. The Board should not be altogether under autocratic rule. He understood that £9OOO had been spent on golf links, with scarcely anything at all on cricket. Golf was only played by a section of the people, and was altogether unpopular. The gentlemen whom it was proposed to add to the Board were very estimable citizens and very representative of the sports bodies of the town. It was only by having such representation that they would avoid getting a Board entirely ruled by autocracy Cr McKinnon reviewed the whole position, including the resignation of Mr Wilson, which, he said, was on a matter of policy. The speaker said he was prepared to dispute the statement that £OOOO of the Domain Board s monev had been spent on the golf links. He moved as an amendment, that before anvthiner further was done, a committee of the Council meet the Domain Board and ascertain the expenditure on the Domain lands, and obtain a statement, showing exactly wiiat had been ppeniin the various departments under the Board's control. Excellent Work Done. Cr Lafferty regretted that such a position had arisen, especially as the old members of the Board had done purh excellent work. The proposed new members were not seeking to oust the present Board from office, and he was sorry the Board had taken up its present attitude. Cr. Tidd asked what the different bodies would do if there was no Domain Board. Cr McKinnon: Do as they used to do. CrTidd: "Yes, do as they used to do .—look after themselves. Now that the Domain lands have been got in hand and a little bit of money is coming_in. everybody wants to get hold of it." The speaker said the Board had done excellent work. He believed that a small board could do better work than a big one, especially if there happened to be a contentious spirit amongst the greater personnel. He thought the motion brought down by the committee was in the best interests of the borough. He would certainly vote for it. Cr Lowry said the gentlemen it was proposed to add to the Board were not men with one idea, but. men who were anxious to do their best in the interests of the borough and not merely of Fport. Why certain members of the Board would not sit with these gentlemen he could not understand. The Position Explained. The Mayor said it was quite clear from the discussion that a number of the councillors did not understand the position one little bit. It was at the request largely of the sports bodies of the town that the Board was made a nominated one. after a commission had been held on the matter. The Board took office and had sat since with very little alteration and had done an exceedingly commendable work. Before they took office the Lake Domain was a wilderness of scrub, with the exception of one small area. The Board bad other functions to perform besides catering for sport. Mr Swarbrick's work at the Lake Domain should win him everlasting credit for all time, if only for what he had done for the children of the town. The deputation of cricketers which waited on the Board went away entirely satisfied with the Board's offer, after the position had been stated to them. They went back and said they hail neyer thoroughly understood the position before, and were entirely satisfied with the Board's offer. Mr Wilson, one of the members of the Board, resigned with some heat over the Board's policy regarding cricket, and Mr D. Hay was Appointed in his stead. Mr Hay was a well-known sportsman, who represented sport in almost all its hranches, and was thoroughly, competent to represent the sports bodies on the Board. They would understand, therefore, that d was asking the chairman of the Board to swallow a hard pill to asain sit with Mr Wilson, after the latter had resigned in disagreement with the policy of the Boarjd. No one could estimate the value, of'the work Mr Swurhrick had done for the town. He h.ia done an Incalculable, amount of ie-r.J, work for the Board all through, and had spent a tremendous amount of ids time on [be Domain lands, at no cost to the town. It would be a calamity to the borough If he resigned at the present time. He had Just drafted out a Bill dealing with the lands at no expense to the town. It. was not necessary for a man to be a cricketer to deal with the cricket grounds. The proposed resolution would put the position back as il was formerly, and the Minister would be able to call a meeting if he desired or make any suggestion he thought fit. The Increase In Personnel. Cr Lafferty said the position that had arisen was the result of the action of the Council, and he held that as the resolution standing on the Council's books asking for an increase in the personnel of the Board, had not been rescinded, that the motion that night was out. of order. Cr Gruar said he would like to have the'matter amicably settled and he did

not for a moment wish to belittle the work done by Mr Swarbrick. It was not suggested that Mr swarbrick objected hi an increase in the number of members or that he would refuse to sit with persons other than Mr Wilson. If members of the Board were to lie mere nonentities, however, then tin' sooner they gut rid of such autocratic rule the better. Cr. MeKinnon said he bad taken up his present attitude because he thought the Council was formerly influenced by a deputation from the sports bodies, who made a statement, setting out certain alleged expenditure, the accuracy of which he very much doubted. The Council acted on that, occasion without hearing Hie case for the Domain Hoard.

Cr. Harp said he held a brief for neither side, and recognised t o the full the valuable work dune by Mr Swarbrick. At the same lime., if it had nol been for sport the Germans would have been here at the present time. || was spur! (hat had won the war and sport should therefore be considered. Cr. Johnson said that in Mr Swarbriek's posit on he would have taken up exact!) the same attitude, and have r.fuse I to sit with Mr Wilson, after ti'e circumstances of the lattcr's res gnalion He believed thai if another inme was substituted for that of Mr Wilson, the Increased personnel might he acceptable to the old Board, Board of Nine Suggested.

Cr. Gruar said that if the Council would give him an undertaking that it would recommend the Minister to make the personnel of the Board not than eight, he would gn no further with the matter. He objected to the affairs of the Hoard b'dng under the autocratic control of one man. and so long as the nominations for the additions to the membership came from without and nol from within, he would make no further objection. Cr. McKinnon's amendment was remodelled to read, "That a committee of the Council meet the Domain Board and ascertain the position regarding receipts and expenditure, showing the amounts spent and received mi the different departments under its control.

The amendment was lost by a majority of six to five. Cr. Gruar moved a further amendment that it be recommended to the Minister that tiie Board consist of not less than nine members, and Ilia! the names of Messrs de la Mare and Fabling lie included, a further appointment to In' made later. Cr. Tidd said the original resolution was giving the Minister a chance to gracefully retire from the muddle he had got into. Cr. Lowry did not want to see the Minister retract. There was a safeguard in the increased membership.

Cr. Barton said that if the Council supported the amendment the whole thine might come back to them again. Tiie resolution was giving the Minister a chance to start de novo. Personally be, did not agree with tiie attitude Mr Wilson had taken up in resigning. Neither did lie agree with the members of the Board in resigning. Cr. McKinnon did not think the Minister was to lie altogether blamed for what ii.' had done in view of the representations made fi him. Cr. (Jruar's amendment was lost hv Six to live. The resolution was then put to the meeting, and was lust by six to live. the Mayor and Crs. Tidd. Barton. Snell and Brind voting for and Crs. McKinnon, Gruar. Lafferty, Harp, Johnson, and Lowry against it. Council to Meet Board. Cr. McKinnon then moved a resolution thai the Council meet the Board and go into the question of finance. Cr, Gruar moved an amendment that, (he Minister ho recommended In keep the Board al its full strcnsrlh of nine, and dial the nominations lie made by a Commission or any other outside source. Cr. Brind suggested that n public meeting should be called on the question. Cr. McKinnon said that in such cases the opposition was usually organised and the hall packed with oppositionists, and the opinion of such meeting sent forth as representing public opinion. The position was absurd. Cr. McKinnon's motion was carried. The Mayor suggested to Cr. Gruar that the question of personnel should be left over until after the conference with the Board. The Council would not then be tied down and there would be a better chance of reaching an amicable settlement. Cr. McKinnon thought they shoulo all attend the conference with an open mind. Cr. Gruar pressed his motion, which on being put, however, was lost, by five to six. The position is, therefore, that. UKCouncil will meet the old members of the Board.