"VERY UNFAIR”

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20679, 14 December 1938, Page 6

"VERY UNFAIR”

ACTION OF MAYOR . s DOMAIN BOARD’S COMMENT SPORTS GROUNDS CONTROVERSY "The action of the Mavor has been very unfair,” said Mr W. H. Paul, chairman of the Hamilton Domain Board, at a meeting of the board last evening when referring to a letter sent by Mr H. D. Caro, Mayor of Hamilton, to the Minister of Internal Affair*, the Hon. W. E. Parry, regarding the trol of sports grounds in Hamilton. A copy of the letter was by the Mayor to the Domain Board and when it was received lasi evening it aroused considerable comment. In the letter to the Minister. Mr Caro referred to the opinion of the Hamilton Borough Council that the system of control of Domain land* in Hamilton was undemocratic. The letter stated that the council was of the opinion that if it undertook the administration of the laying out of new works and the maintenance of the present areas a definite saving in the annual costs could be achieved. The oouncil considered the present Domain Board should remain in an advisory capacity. The letter expressed the desire to have the Minister’s advice on the matter. Mr Caro Explains “Mr Caro promised that the borough engineer would give Mr Swarbrick figures and estimates of cost regarding sports ground improvement proposals- so that Mr Swarbrick could bring down a report on the matter,” said Mr Paul, who added that those figures had not been made available to tbe board until last evening, although they had been promised in AugusL “I think Mr Paul Is rather mistaken in the matter,” said Mn, Caro, who, as a member of the Domain Board, was present at the meeting. “We offered the borough engineer’s services to the board but the board did not push the matter as much as it should have.” The Mayor added that if the board had not received the estimates from the borough engineer then it should have made other arrangements to obtain them. The Borough Council could not compel the engineer to furnish the figures to the board as his willingness to do so was only an act of courtesy as he had been doing it in his spare time and not in the council's time.

Mr F. A. Swarbrick said he had understood the work was to have been done by the engineer in the council’s time, otherwise it would have been unfair to try and push the work along as the board had been doing. "It never occurred to me,” said Mr Paul, “that the work was being done by the engineer in his own time. Both Mr Caro and the town clerk had given us a promise that it w’ould be done.” “The letter.” said Mr Caro, was sent to the Minister with the idea of speeding up the matter.” Need for HasU “It would have been courteous.” said Mr Paul, “to have seen me or Mr Swarbrick before writing the letter.” “I do not think so,” replied the Mayor. "I sent you a copy of the letter. That was courtesy.” “It was the only courteous thing about the whole affair,” remarked Mr F. W. Platts. “The main thing,” said Mr Caro, “is to speed up the whole matter. The spoil from Garden Place will be available after the New Year and that will be the last opportunity of getting it. Those are the hare facts and wre have to face up to Vhem.” Mr Swarbrick said as soon as he had seen the borough engineer’s estimates Jie would lose no time in bringing down his report. On the motion of Mr Paul It was decided to call a special meeting of the Domain Board as soon as Mr Swarbrick’s report was available. Mr Caro said it would be helpful to the Borough Council if the special meeting could be held before Christmas so that the council would know how much spoil would be required by the Domain Board.