PLAYING GROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 4

PLAYING GROUNDS.

' THE CIT.Y COUNCIL: AND THE ATHLETIC PARK, '■ j' .' ' COMMITTEE GIVEN POWER TO NEGOTIATE. • The By-Laws and Reserves Committco, .of which br. J. P. Luko is chairman, reported ■ /' as follows at yesterday's meeting of tho . City Council:— . "That they havo reeoived a deputa- ■ tion from tho Wellington Rugby Union, ; 1 asking for the use of tho Newtown Park or Basin Reserve for, five Saturdays dur- -■. . ing tho present season for .representative.,: / *■■■■ : matches, with permission to charge,' but as tho Council have no power to authorise _ a chareo for admission to bc niade, tlmyrecommond that they he empoworod to negotiate with .tho Athletic Park Company 'for tho playing of~„ these matches, and gcnorally as to tho advisability of acquiring tho Park." : Cr. Luko, in moving tho-a(Joption' of-;the r ' report,- said it would bo 'a good thing-, to negotiate for tho • use of tho'Athletic Park; evon if only for tho present year. Noxt year tho now grounds at Duppa Street .ajid Kpl- ■ . burns would bo available. - v . : , , " AGAINST INTERFERENCE. ■ Cr. Biss said that ther Wellington JRugby Union, which was an important body 'witli ' substantial funds, had broken off its nego-; . tiatibns with the Athletic Park Company, : , although .thero was 'only'-;a' few pounds between j them, and' ha,d decided' to hold its • ■ .matches at Miramar.- He thought the Coun- . oil ought riot to interfere botween those two ■■-. bodies.' Tho Atlilotic Park was now being usod by Association football,-hockey, and la-crosse-clubs, and the Council would be got-' :• ting on '/dangerous* ground' ifa'-itt interposed ' to, sijuaro two bodies to tho detriment of those others. - - ■■ - ■ - Cr. M'Laron said it would not bo advisablo ■ for the Council to step in and sottlo tho differences of tho company and the Rugby "... Union. " '' Cr. Hindmarsh said that if tlio Council acquired,, the Park, it would cost .^OjOOOytOj ■ compensate the Athletic Park Company ,: and (V.. buy . tho freehold from the- Nativo/o'whe'rcV ' ' Tho : Bill which the Council had decided to promote in -:Parliament would : enable the r ' sports, clubs to 'make' their own-grounds on ;: ■ .'the .To'wti, Belt 'at 'a ■■/■■■■. Ho thought the Rugby Union. should ..be al-; lowed 'te use the. Basin -ReseiTe and Now-'. . town Park. They .'could .'not charge for ."ad;." mission, but they could take up a collection,' : ; or sell-; tickets, as they had formerly done. . ■ Miramar; was too far away for the; rcpresen-; tativo. matches. ; -| • MORE PLAYING GROUNDS WANTED. ■ Cr. Morrah said that there could' be no , harms in the Committee finding out and rc- , to tlio Council as; to whether .thoy' ■ could get a satisfactory lease of tho Park for a year or two. - ~ Cr. Luko said, thero had been no increase 'in tho number of/, playing-. : grounds 'in the; city - for tho. last . twenty years, /though the - population had'groatly iri-' : ■ croased; The Basni P.cservo and Newtown .; ■ :< 1 Park wore constantly occupied, and it : had . ,to arrange a l ,timo-tablo so. . ■ss: to givo the boys and girls of tho public schools, and other, parties a • chance.-of using, the grounds; Tho Council was not concerned in what had ; passed between the ltugby Union : and the .Athletic. Park: Company, but if the . s representative matches were played, at.' Miraf.' mar it .would be impossible to carry tho.spectators to and fro. Cr. Biss explained that ho was strongly in favourvof -tho" Council acquiring and control-' ling . parks and. recreation grounds, but, ho' objected, to stepping in. between tho Rugby, ■ Union; and tho .Amniotic.;Park,'Company, in; ■ regard.:to thoso five matches. ' Cr. Fisher Council had *:. asked to of the.Basim'ReSerTO' or Newtown the Rugby r shoultfaiot attempt .to. | ,iritorfere,'in I : tho J : matter;; It -would ,be • encouraging football,'* but not sport generally. . Cr.. ; Luko . said , tho Committee only'asked; (or power to negotiate. : • - '. : The report :was adopted. , -~ / • I