ISLAND BAY’S WANTS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 154, 17 March 1923, Page 7

ISLAND BAY’S WANTS

CROQUET LAWN REST PARK NEEDED OBJECTION TO FISH ON THE BEACH On Thursday evening the Island Bay Municipal Electors’ Association met the members of the Reserves Committee of the City Council. Councillor W. J. Thompson (chairman of the committee) was unable to attend owing to absence from Wellington, and Mrs. McVicar sent an apology. Councillors B. G. H. Burn. L. McKenzie, and A. W. Parton attended.. Mr. E. J. Colley, the president of the association, who occupied tne chair, enumerated the thrive chief wants of the Bay. The first was a croquet ground for the ladies. At present two lawns were provided tor them in Duppa Street Park, but these were quite unsuitable owing to the decided slope of the ground from its centre to the eastern and southern sides. In any case, the ladies had now to move, as it was proposed to erect goalposts on the very edge of the. lawn. It was suggested provided on the Town Belt on the opposite side of the road, the p ace originally promised when the late Councillor Prost was. c | 1 l airnian +1 ?£ Reserves Committee. It was thought that there was ample room there without interfering with the golf Councillor B. G. H. Burn, who expressed sympathy with the request, asked whether the ladies were prepared to make a donation towards the cost of laying down the lawu Mrs. McDonald stated that the ladies of Kelburn had been provided with five lawns at Kelburn Park without making a donation. The present position was that forty ladies wished to play when there was room for only twenty In any case, the present grounds were suitable only for cricket “(Sei A. W. Parton saidhew not .prepared to commit himself on the matter of expenditure on croquet lawns at the expense oj mwe urgent works, such as footpaths and chan „ n The"chairman complained of the apathy of the council in regard 'the project of forming the rest park on the Marine Parade. The land had been acquired same years ago, but though visited several times, the park was not developing. The council also i had land on the opposite corner, and to the south and west of Mr. Baylis s ' property (tho Blue Platter Tea-house). There was another section the council should acquire in order to consolidate its block. It had been thought that tho council had put a proclamation over » Mr. Foster’s section (find tho. owner himself had been under that impres- • sion), but it had not proved to he the case. It would, however, be in the city’s interest tp acquire the land, which had a fine prospective value. All the city councillors present admitted the wisdom of the course advised by , the association. Councillor Parton said the Mayor had told him that the council was going to purchase th© section * and he (Connoilier Parton) was going along to the Town Hall in the morning to see what had been done in the matter. The third grievance of the association related to the way in which tho Italian fishermen used the beach at Island Bay, leaving their boats and nets and fish all over the place in a manner as calculated to create an intolerable nuisance. .'.The chairman thought that activities of the fishermen should be confined to Fisherman’s Greek (beyond the west beach), and the island. In reply to a question, a fisherman who was present skated that £40,000 worth of fish w,as landed at Island Bay during the year, and yet there were no facilities for conducting the trade in a really proper manner. It was stated that sometimes, when big hauls, were made, the fish were left in piles exposed to all the dust and filth and flies, until carting arrangements could be made. Councillor L. McKenzie was heartily with the association in its protest, and thought it was the bounden duty of the council to pass a by-law prohibiting the fishermen from using the bathing beach at all for the purpose of their tailing.