TERRACE GAOL SITE

ITS FUTURE USE. SCOPE FOft TOWN PLANNERS

CBy OusEnVEti.]

Probably tho peoplo of Wellington will almost tmamnimigiy approve the decision of tho present Government to abandon flics Terrace Gaol and find ae* commodatso-ii for tlio inmates i« other and moro suitably situated prisons, tat it is a matter of much greater iia'portanoo at the present juncture that citizens should telco a live iiiteress iu the future utilisation of tho site and do their best to -ensure that no such mistake shall be made a second -time as wns made years ago when this fine area of hind was sot apart for the purpnses of a convict prisoa. There is a, good deal of talk at- tho present time about townplanning, and many blunders and mistakes on tho .part- of those who laid out tho city of Wellitigkin are to-day bitterly deplored, Tho abainfomsiwt of the Terriico Gaol affords a- favourable opportunity for putting some of fte-se theories into practice, and on the other hand it seems clear that if tlio opportunity- is neglected one mofo mistake will ho added to tlfe catalogue of past mistakes which >e now deplore, Tho immediate difficulty opposing any attempt to turn tfae site of the Terrace Gaol, when it is vacated, ta tho benefit of- the city, is that tile land is vested, not in tho city, but in the general GovCTiiiHcnt, which I;as si right to dispose of it- subject to the will of Parliament as it thiiiks fit. It is at least possible, hoffever, that some way of using tho site may be devised which will equally serva the interests, of the Govcrnuiesjt and those of tho city of Wellington. '

■ "fer Sale." The only definite proposal which tfoe present Govanittiisut- lias yet advanced regarding tho site is that, it shouts} be sold. In tho Wasiting-tlp flijl wf last year there was a clause vliioh proposed that tho site of tho Terfaeo Gaol should ho declare:! to ha Cwnvn I*asid s β-vnii-aijio for disposal under tie provisions of the- Land Act. I'M. U was .farther, provided that tho net proceeds arising from the sale or other dlsposnl of llw laud, or of the huildings and other m\proveinp!«s t-ljereoai, shotiM l>a paid into Uio Public Wor';s Fuisd. Mcsi,sta-.uco was offered to this, pfop&aai V some mombor.s of the House of Rcpresoiitiilivcs, and in the end of session rush it was dropped after very brief discussion. The -posiiion thus remains. Set tho t'we being, iis it was. Tho proposal to soil tho gaol site lias ono ohvieus morit—'its adopUo-n would enable a radical meftsuro of prison rofonn to bo carried out a-t small cost, cr possibly wit'lwnjt cost, for the money derived from the sale i>f o. large and valuable city property lifco tlio site of tho Terraco' Gaol waiM at- least go a long way towards recouping tlio outlay upon altoriiativo accomieodatittJi at a prison farm like W-nilrcrifti 'and upon the small depot prison which it is intended to establish somewhere near Wellington. At the same time tin* sale proposal tioes not by any moans oshiuist the possibilities of t-fic* ease, partieiiiarly when it is bolsed at from tho pofoit of view of the welfare of tlio city of We.l* lington.

Wiiy Not a School One, alternative possibility relates to a very x different department of Stato activity" from prison administration— that, namely, of public educntraii. No ono wlso -turns a speculative eyft Upon tlie site of the Terrace Gaol ran fail to to impressed with ite possibilities as a site for a public school, There is probably no'.other spot in /Wellington wiioi'o a, new. School could bo ostabfislred with «qu.il bsiiolit to tho chilriren of a populous area. , '\'o all intents an 4 purposes a clear space is available. It may be token for granted that tljp g&ol buildings will I'nwo to be detiiolLshou in any rase, ami mast of them are of comjwrativelv. small talue. Thejro is one 'brick building, erected by prisau labour, whic'-Jt may bo worth five or six thmisand pounds, but it is walikely that it eoald he profitably <\pp ! .iwi to any other pur* [wse than'that which it now sem-s. All or most of the 'residences which ftccapy a portion of tho g'tio! silo cnwld probably be left standing, and yst leave plenty of space available for a school of large proportions, nsidfor more nfiinlt) plstying areas than almost any existing school in Wellington can boast, Ono point of favour of placing a school whero tho Torrooo Gn.&J now stands is that it tonld, i£ necessary, replata tho To Are School in Willis Street. Without goisig into the controversy uliidi Ims lately ratrcd over the condition of that institution, it nwy sms fair] that it is an old building, with asi inatlc<juate playing area, _aii<3 thot it is practically certain Hint it- will havo to bo superseded sooiior or later. Ajart from tlie sdisol itself, "Willis Street is rapidly developing as it business Ihorousrbfare, iuid is becoming . less suitable as a street in which to ntftinhiiii a school. Already tlw chililron p;<iing tn and fro and playing about the street are exposed to risks, from Is>o busy traffic, from wlijeb Uiey would bclni'Rirly freo in thn tj"' o^"l ' stveots about tho rifce <?f tho Terrae* Gaol.

3frtnifestly a school in tJre tilaee of the gaol would OHJoy ovory advantage of position, find wo'.i'a mt-ot, any pesiiiblc dcmawl fvom tlw hoatth ■point of )■;«!!•. 'Dipivj does. not seem to be t)M> slicjitcsfc reason to fy.ar a <lenrlh of TinpVls, fo r - oii ftip W\\ fttcas nvethak ihe Terr/in , , hmscs α-fo ntitltinlfing e.-iew >-ew, !\*.(J \i is easy to teak fat' wnrtf to n tiflio wliea mwh more amph wliool afiTOmm«iSßt,ion will lie recjuired tdon esi'sfs at present. At all erenta xi, is e\p!\yly vlcMtftWe ttiat sonto such mcihrd of ntilismp tfio site of the T<m--va?e Gpq\ alwnW lie considered 1-cfore if, is nllotvofl to jwbs out of the linnfls <»{ \\\<s -Stat*, ami bo tlevotcd to some purpose whwh would spoil insiteail of impr-ovfns that pnrt of the town in wlueii it is situated.