KELBURN CHILDREN

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 226, 18 June 1920, Page 7

KELBURN CHILDREN

A PLAYGROUND WANTED SUGGESTED PURCHASE OF DOLORES ESTATE At meeting of residents of ICelbutn was held in the Training College last night, for the purpose of urging that a recreation ground should' be provided for the children of the district. Mr. F. Meadowcroft presided. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G., M.P.) was present at the meeting, and there Was a largo attendance.

Tho ohairmon said there was on area bf land in Upland Road, the. Dolores Estate, which was eminently suitable for n ohildren's playground, and which was about to be sold. This was the last remaining suitable area in the district for tho' purposes of' a recreation ground, and it was desirable that it should be acquired. If tho land was levelled off, the spoil could be used to fill in the gully alongside the school, Which would thus provide an additional playing area for the children. As thero 'Was lio playing area botwoen Kelburn Park and ICarori, it was desirable that the estate, or suoh portion of it-as remained, should be acquired on behalf Of tho district. Council Refuses a Grant. Tho Mayor said that the playing areas in connection with the schools of tho city had never been adequate, and the present position was unbearable. Ho was opposed to tho building of schools, on tho Town Belt, but ho had always' advocated that the Education Board should endeavour to acquire school sites verging on the Town Belt, which could he used as a playing area for tho children. Both the Minister of Education and himself had inspected the Dolores Estate and had been impressed with its possibilities, Ho had urged the Minister to. put a proclamation over the land right away. The Minister had writ ton to .him, stating that Mr. John Prouse, agent for Madame Dolores, had informed him that six different allotments on'the estate had been sold. This rdther blocked the proposal to purchase tho land for public purposes. The price was .£7OOO an acre. He (the Minister!) would bo' pleased to consider any proposal by which ho and the City Council OOUld act together in obtaining part Of' tho area. Mr'. Luke said he had asked tho City Council for a grant of .£IOOO, and lie only got 'three votes 6ther th'an his own, &o that was the end of tho matter for tho timo being. His ftdvice to the- residents was that they should wait on the council as a deputation to impress it'with tho necessity of doing something in tho matter without delay. The position was 0116 for the Government to deal with, aa it

possessed two schools adjncent to the land, and the students of the Training College and the. pupils at the Normal School had a right to havo a proper placing ground. • The Mayor suggested that people who had bought sections on the estate should them again in the interests of t£b district, and he said he ■ would do his utmost to press forward the project {or acquiring a ground.

In reply to questions, the Mayor stated that the Education Department had no power to take land by proclamation. "That information had come as a surprise to him.

Resolutions of Meeting.

On tho proposition of Mr. Meadowcroft, the meeting carried the following resolutions: (1) "This meeting of Iwlbiirn residents is of opinion that the playing space provided for the ohildren of the district .is wholly inadequate for the requirements of a school conducted on modern lines, and that the Education Board be nrged to make ampler provision, particularly in view of the j fact that the whole of, the teachers in tho Middlo University District receive their training in the ICelburn School (100 at present)." (2) "That this meeting of Ivelburn residents desires to point out that the Dolores Estate is now the only suitable available site for increased playing space, and that this fact be brought under the notice of the vendor with a strong recommendation to hisfavourable consideration in the matter of terms, etc." (3) "That this meeting of Kelburn residents would urge the Government to acquire this land, and that both City Council and Education Board be requested to 00-operate in tho purchase thereof, and wauld suggest further that the spoil available would fill the school gully and give nearly anoiher acre of playground." ■ Tho Mayor was thanked, for his attendance, and it was decided that deputations should wait on the Minister of Education and the City Council to press forward tho proposal.