ELMWOOD PARK.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14369, 31 May 1912, Page 10

ELMWOOD PARK.

A deputation was-introduced by Mr L. >L Isitt, M.P.. in the interests «-f tho Elmwood Park. Tho Hon. C f/'onisson, the Mayor, and members of tin; City Council, were members of the deputation. ■ . Mr Isitt said that tliere was a real need for the Park, and the present mive a good opportunity for acquiring it.

The Mayor said that unless the ground'was acquired- it would bo cut up for building* sections. He said that the city of Christchurch was ono of the worst endowed in tho.l>ominion. and therefore had a good claim f or assistance from the Government.

■Mr A. "S. Taylor said that the deputation wished to ask for a substantial vubsidy. Ho gave a few details of the movement. It hud been agreed that

tl'.i acres of the Elmwood, Estate, At £330 an acre, would meet requirements. -The sum. of £8500-would oy required for purchase money and roading. Tho people had to depend un private subscriptions, • a Gity Council grant,- and a Government subsidy. Any .balance couUl.bc contributed ■by tho residents. Christchurch had not' so far received-any great assistance from the Government, though ; the '•. district was a revenue-producing one,, so that the deputation approached the Government with some confidence- Tho Government had given .subsidies in-, tho cases of. the Sydenham and St. Albans Park's, and ho believed that Auckland city had received a subsidy for a park. Enquiries, had been made from tho Town Clerk of Auckland, but no reply had been received. Tho members of Parliament had given promises of hearty support in favour of tho movement for the Elmwood Park.

Mr F. W. Hobbs said that Mr T. \l. Davey and Mr Goo. Witty had sent in sympathetic.letters.. The district was being very closely settled, and if tiro present opportunity was-missed there was no likelihood of an area of 50 ■acne being got in-the future. Thl Leinste'r Kond School was \yithin a hiindrod yards of the proposed park, cmd it would bo useful for the school children. In asking for. a grant the citizens were only asking for a return of some of the excess revenue contributed by,them to the Government. • Tho 'Mayor said that the park had already been used for a number -f .years a.s a recreation ground.-

The-Minister asked how far the proposed nark was from Hagley Park and St. Allans Park.

Mr Taylor said that it was fully a mile from Hagley Park, and more than thai from the St. Albane Park. The Park -was on the boundary of the city and tho Waimairi County. Another gentleman said that eventually tho park would stand in the centre of a triangle of three great public schools.. It woiUd servo parts of Fendaltori and Papanui, as well as St. Albans. Mr R. 11. Rhodes had given permission to hockey-players to usotho ground, and it was therefore already a quasi-public ground. The .lion.' C. Louisson. M.L.C., said that lands which the city "should have had as endowments had been sold, and the Government had got the money.

Tho Minister: Which lands do you refer to?

The Mayor: A strip inside the city

Tho Minister said that very few endowments had been set aside for the , city, but they had been set'aside for the College, High School, and tho Museum. , These were the envy of the rest of the country. It was regrettable that the same thing had not been done for the city. He had asked the Department to" send him detail of money votou for reserves, and found that during the past six years the largest sum received had been CDOO. for a small town near Wangatiui. li-v.vevcr. the Government had contributed £000 for the Ueckenham-

Fisherton Par];. £500 for the IJoath-eot-o Park. £500 for New Brighton, and £302 for Woolston. The deputation therefore had very good precedents for their requests. The matter weald have to be submitted to Cabinet, and the grant made on the Estimates for the coining year. The arguments adduced by tho deputation were unanswerable. He was .sorry that the reserve propos(-d was rijrht on the city boundary. He intended, however, to facilitate tho proceedintxs which would enable tho cities to attach to themselves areas contiguous to the cities. He had no hesitation in predicting that in ten years nearly the whole of the Waimairi County' would form part of the city. The nark would be as much for the people in the county as for the city, ar.d the city should not have to bear t-he whole of the financial responfibiifty. As to the excess revenue from Christehuixh, as advanced by Mr ilobbs. that could not be used as an argument, as it applied to all the cities. If there were private subscriptions, and a grant by the city, there was a very •tvtron.g position to put before the Cabinet. He would place their representations before tho Cabinet.

Mr Lntt thanked the Minister for his very favourable reply.