TEE LAST CHANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2003, 10 March 1914, Page 4

TEE LAST CHANCE.

It is somewhat disappointing tliftt a move g<morm.is response has not bean made to the effoj'ts put'forward by those ptiblio-spiritod uitia>ns who hft?u thyowE tbcinselves so cjithusias* tically into the task of scetii'jjjg for the people- of Wellington and surrounding •■ district the pcfpotuiil use of the gronads and bush at Day's Bay as a recreation reserve and jjjenic and holiday resort. Not so wany years ago the lias. H. B. BfitL, then Mayor of tlw City &f Welli listen, brougiit fovwartl a scheme for the purchase of a lai'ge part of the Mai , ;."- ra.ar 'peninsula aa a City resflcvc and Tccrcation ground, for a sum ot (wi-itiug fvoai memory) £80,000. Wie soheMic-, it wits contended Uy the ■authw, would lie sclf-supportiug. Sceptics ftnd tmiid people viowed it with distnvsfc—it was too big an idea {or thmn to grasp—and ultimately h was rojocW. How many tinsc'-J &3 land has doubled iti value since thcfl w<! tii-nn-ot jaretand to say, kic it is safe' to avusc that the «hortSigkfeflMcss of the people of Wclliag* ton on that oceasiqa t'p deditiing to support M'l!. Bsi/s proposkl uai only deprived the City -of the opportunity of possessing the finest sports Mid recreation grounds in Now 'Zealand, but lost to it aa asset whiefi would have addci enormously to ilw revenue of the Wbr.icipitlity and roIwvc4 ratepaycffi of much of tlteii .present burden. th:st jjolohgß to tlwj past.. It was a deplorable mistake and cannot, now ba romedicd. But is tho City going to miss ajjiOt.hsr, if lesser, opportanity? Arii citizens so apathetic or isdiftetent to tiie chance wliioa has (jo-iiie thoii , &ay of Eceuring- tho grouiids aad bush at Day's Bay for the benefit o_f the aaa\mitnity tor iili tisjie, Q't is it that thay , have not .troubled to make thiSsolres acquainted with tic piopO3,uion to whiclj thay are asked' to ie.wl their and support' J Briefly put, the facts are thai this ■property, which is valued at £14,000, is to be cut up and sold at auction to-mon'w eTflning fo-r. resictoa-. tjal purposes, unless that sum' is fortkojniHg, That . is to say, tifassa popular picnic grounds with thsir charming baekgronnsl of ' native bush are. to ba lost for ever as a. pkasm-c resort for the psopls of Wellington, In itsolf this is bad eflough, but what makes the position worn is the fact that the Government haft offcrcst to contribute £4090 towards the purchase pi'k'O of tho property, aatl unless ths bulaaco'of <:ho money is forthsumhig tJio City will Jose'tlie ciinßcs o{ b«neflting by tiiig act of generosity. So far between £30,000 and i'il.COO lias ken pvemisjd,' -i;4OGO of this sum fc-iivg the niciit's .contribution: £4000 from the City Council; $ioop, the generous donation of Mrs. M. A. WHtuAsrs ; and tho balante in lessor stuns itaa\ jiublic-spiritcd citizens and jbusiness firms.. Jiottndly speaking, .£3OOO is now required to purchase to be iKr.do and the grounds and basl secured for the benefit of the jjulilit". f l v !>is sain ntwst be secured qv hi in sight io-djjy. Thci project s'eoms to h«TO mat with wry gcnoral Kpprovat from citizens, but' as so oHm happens in s«cjj matters there is a teid-sney te oh th\ responsibility for making it. a financial success. It Beams curtain that unios.s ihn City Council to-dsy docs soinctlsuig fiiftljyr to ass:?*, the offorts already nwfe will be wasted, (.h»; grenntls cut lip and built o-ii, «'fu(J tlic but!', gradually destroyed. How far the Council should go is bo c!o«!ri n mutter of opinion,' hut. tho fact shoald not fee test sijjht of that cv<™ il costiicjilors agreed to find ihs. whak of thi balance of the inquired it wcmld mean that, tho doun" cil hnd acquired tho property f<> tho nso of citizens at pract'icall , ; half its cost, tlw .i'sm;und<?r of course being provided by the Governnwr jincl through' the generosity of ).• rftte citiitcßS. Probably the Comicil will not: h? prepared to go the length stated, biit.it might well add a further stimuhis to' the mownwnt by supplementing the amouii*; it has already repressed its' willingness tc> contribute,