PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18138, 30 July 1924, Page 13

PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN.

THE ST. ALBANS MOVEMENT. FETE TO BE HELD. A public meeting of the residents of St. Albans was lield last evening in the Victory Schoolroom tx> discuss matters iu connexion with the proposed children's playground. Mr R. B. Dalley presided over an attendance of about fifty residents. The chairman said that they liad received a very gratifying response. Less than two years ago a large part of the St. Albans Park was a swamp. In fact, to him it looked little better than a duck farm. Largely as tho result of the Burgesses' Association, tile park had been drained and sown in grass. At present a great improvement could be seen in the park, and he though tuat nest year tne change would no even more apparent. Tncy would have noCKCU tiiau noiu unie to wine various Sjau'Uj ciuos hau nad poruvns oi tne parK lencea ott lor tuoir own use, thus reducing tue area open to tne general pubuc. The comniiu-eo had. wondered whether tlio clind ot tne future would hare to play m tho road or in its back yard if the parli was fenced in much more. As it had been aptly termed, the present was the sunshine ago, and it had recently been said that if tho children got more sunshine, they never know what disease was. The} would ail admit that it- was a laudable object to induce tho child to play in the open. The City Council had been approached and had granted the exclusive us© of the south-east corner of tho park for the purposo of a playground. A subsidy of 10s in the £had been granted by the Gotineii ca all approved expenditure. IT—" eOuirmttee Sad commenced' to raise money and had obtained £6O through the medium of concerts and socials. It nad been thought necessary to make a bigger effort, and the societies and associations in. St. Albans had sent delegates and 3 general committee bad been 6©t> up. Tho committee had obtained estimates of the cost of equipment, and had found that it would run out at about £SOO. That would be equipment sufficient for 100 to 110 children. If fencing was required that would be extra, and bet thought, that titey should

aim at £SOO, independently of the City Council's promise of a subsidy. Hs made suggestions as to how funds could be raised. Mr H. Jarden said that they had assembled in the. interests of the next generation. Mf they could get the children together in the park, they would, eliminate thoughts of jealousy that did exist among children. Ho appealed for co-operation in fostering the idea, and help in raisin;: the funds required. Councillor A. Williams congratulated those who had originated the idea. He referred to the playgrounds in other cities, mentioning Auckland. He was satisfied that the City Council did the right thing when it granted the subsidy of 10s in the £. Before commencing the equipment of the ground, ho urged that the secretary should get jnforjtiatioii from Auckland. The idea of fencing in the ground should not be tolerated. They must educate their citizens to appreciate their own property, and by doing so they would teach the children also. He would like to see other suburbs take up the idea of children's playgrounds. He heartily endorsed the scheme and offered his assistance. Mr T. P. Moore, chairman of the School Committee, said that they were living in a modern time. He referred to the use the children made of the Timaru playground on Caroline Bay. If they could inculcato into the minds of the children that they had an interest in them, the children would take an interest in them, and he was sure that the children would ftppreciate any help that was given them. He wished tho scheme every success, and he offered his assistance. For the child, no one need be ashamed to "battle " The chairman suggested that a fete should be held in the Park, a decorated procession to go io the Park !ro;n Victoria square. Stalls could be set up in the Park and the various sports grounds could ho thrown open to the public, a charge to. b~ made for games. On the motion of Mr Jarden, it was decided to hold a fc-tc. It was also decided to hold a queen carnival and an art union in conjunction with the fete. A proposal that a decorated procession should be held from Victoria square to the Park was also endorsed. The date of the fete was fised for the Saturday following the termination of Carnival Week. The following committees were elected: —Finance and organising: Messrs R. 13. Dalley, H. Jarden and A. W.

Jackson; advertising, Messrs F. W. Petterd, J. Tucker, and W. Dangerfield ; fete Messrs G. T. Jones, A. Williams, G. Grover, Mrs Nightingale, and Miss Clark; competitions, Messrs H. Sweeney, A. Denmead, J. G. Falkiner; procession, Messrs J. A\ Gagliardi, J. Woodaxd, and Peat; sports, chairmen of St. Albans and Shirley Schools to arrange the committee; entertainment, Messrs E. Clark, W. Thompson, and G. Hillsdon.