The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1912. A PUBLIC BOON.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 141, 13 June 1912, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1912. A PUBLIC BOON.

. a For the cause that lacks assistance, For tlue toifong thai needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that vie. can do.

Yesterday we supplied our readers with full details of the exchange of public property arranged between the City Council and the Harbour Board, with a view to the enlargement of Victoria Park. We believe that the public opinion of Auckland will emphatically confirm the Mayor's claim that the arrangement is in every way a good thing for the city and advantageous to both the (public bodies concerned. Without going into the whole matter again at length, we may point out that by this exchange the area of Victoria Park will be increased by about three acres. But the mere enlargement of the park is not the only advantage that the city will seoure- The ten allotments at the corner of Customs-street and Patteson-street have hitherto been occupied by timber yards and wooden sheds, which were anything but an ornamental adjunct to this valuable reserve. _vow that they are to be included in the area of the park, the main entrance to the reserve can be placed on the south-east corner at the tramway penny section, while the view of the park, approaching from Vic-toria-street, will be infinitely fcrrore' attractive and imposing than it is now. The widening and straightening of Cus-toms-street is another feature of the scheme that will vastly benefit the whole locality. Along.the seafront two acres are to -be added to the park on the north side behind the pavilion, and this will provide a much needed extension of the area available for sports and games. The Harbour Board cannot well, make the city a present of all this property for nothing; but it has generously agreed to hand over the land rent free for thirty-eight yeaTs. The conces-. sions offered by the City Council in return—formation and improvements in _____we»street, Customs-street, Rail- j way-street, and in connection with the Mechanics' Bay sewer, and the conveyanceof certain sections of land—have been accepted t>y the Harbour Board as adequate and satisfactory, and the agreement may therefore bo regarded as an accomplished factIt is hardly necessary to dwell upon the material advantages that will accrue to the city through this extension of Victoria (Park. We have always regarded this area as one of our most valuable public reserves, and the demand of athletic clubs for playing space there lias long since exceeded the supply. But besides enlarging the Park appreciably, the new scheme will sweep away some of the sordid and squalid surroundings which have hitherto detracted so seriously from its value as a public [ resort. The beautifioaition of our city, as Mr. Bryce remarked the other day in W-elliogiton, is no less, a public duty than the provision of parks and breathing spaces for our people. We have always considered that the agreement which, resulted in the -erection of shops and factories along the outskirts of Victoria Park was a serious error in judgment, due to lack of public spirit and foresight on the part of the local bodies concerned. By the move that the Harbour (Board and the City Council •have now mad c, this reproach is in a fair way to toe swept- into oblivion. And, in our opinion, far less important than the material benefits thus secured for the city is the evidence this change affords of the desire which is now clearJy actuating the City Council and the Harbour ißoard to work __trmo__oT__ty together in the public interest. In the past there have been occasions on -which the Harbour ißoard has apparently preferred to hold itself aloof from _c city and to take up a detached and isolated standpoint. Such an artificial separation of public interests -which aTe in reality •almost identical could not fail to react injuriously upon the city and people of Auckland. In recent years, we axe-glad to be able to-admit- this spirit has been dying out, and the thanks of the community are due to __:____on and Mr. Parr for __v-ing so clearly, realised the -responsibility imposed upon them . by their •__£_-•'__«_ =-t_3_r forces 3_< _se_pa___ia____-_ ____*■_»- operate. od~.