THE TOWN BELT: MITCHELLTOWN'S CASE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 46, 24 February 1913, Page 8

THE TOWN BELT: MITCHELLTOWN'S CASE

TO TUB EDITOR. Sir, — We must express surpriso at tho letter of "Onlooker" in reference to the above subject, and can only Burmi6e_ that it was sent in ignorance of the position, and tho holp the tennis clubs havo been in enabling the committee to complete in A satisfactory manner the work commenced over six years ago, and now, as "On- j looker" says, "tho committee has one of tho best grounds about the city for the school children." "Onlooker" makes a mistake when ho states that the children arc not allowed to use it ; on the contrary, the ground is free to the children 'of .the district from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in order that they might enjoy to the fullest the benefits of, the tennie courts, the com* i mitteo has this year expended tho sum of £14 in^ the purchase of rackets, balls, and cricketing gear for their use. Between i the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. the members of two tennis clubs (who do not belong to tho "rich" class as mentioned by "Onlooker") have the right to play on four courts. I Wo challenge "Onlooker" to instance any case whore tho right of the children to play on tho ground has beon checked by the committee or staff of the school. > We havo taken steps to prevent j larrikinism and tho misuse of the ground by some of tho "older 1 ' children that "Onlooker" is so solicitous for — the "older" children (as he says) who have been using tho Town Belt for the last thirty years, and who, so far_ as the committee is concerned, may continue to use it until they are grey-headed, provided they are prepared to respect the rights of others to tho same use. If "Onlooker" ia a householder at Mitchelltown he must know that tho policy of tho committee was questioned afc tho meeting last April, and, after explanation, it was unanimously approved by oneof tho largest meetings held in the district for years. Wo desiro "Onlooker" to know that the policy of the committee is riot tho policy of a "proprietary bowling or tennis club," formed for tho benefit and profit of its members, but of a public body publicly elected in April each year; and if "Onlooker" desires to change the policy of tho committee, we advise him to be in attendance when the new committee is elected two months hence. In order that the citizens residing in other parte of the city may realise that they arc not being exploited in the interests of Mitchelltown, it ivould be a3 well for them to understand that the portion of Town Belt leased was one of the wildest and most precipitous parts surrounding tho city. When granted in 1906, the atigineer'e estimate for levelling a portion . of it was £600, without asphalting, fenc- J ing, or tree-planting. Up to the present | just over £40t> has been spent on .the Work, of -which amount the City Council has provided £100, Board of Education £50 10s, and the tennis clubs, by way of rent, £64, the balance being raised by * varied methods by tho school committee. How much has "Onlooker" done towards it? The work doneis far in excess of what was originally intended, and the asphalting and formation of the tennis courts was only made possible by our ability to let them and derive revenue in order to pay for their fqjrmation and np'keqp. . During the coming year the whole of the ground will require to be topdressed, not so much for the_ tennis I players, but in order to keop it in a proper stato of repair for use by the children as a playground. Apart from rents, the income of the committee is £44 per year. Surely " Onlooker " can see we must derive further revenue of some sort if wo are to maintain the playground in anything like decent order. In reference to the City ' Council cancelling the- lease on tho Ist April, as hinted at by " Onlooker," wo trust he recognises that it would be a fitting date for such an act on tiheir part; but so far as the School Committee is concerned, we would welcomo tho change, provided the City Council would make it as free to the children of the district us it now is, and would undertake to maintain and further improve it from year to year, as has been demo by past and present school committees. Vfe would point out that "while tho Basin Reserve, lielburne Park, Anderson's Park, Newtown Park, and Duppa-street Park are free to tho children, the playing areas aro denied them when cricket and other games aro in progress, and wo submit that wero it not for tho revenue derived from sports bodies, by way of rent for these reserves, they could not be maintained by the council in tho manner in which they arc. In conclusion, we desire to say that should the "older" children of the district referred to by "Onlooker" desire tennis courts, they haw -only to form a club uud make application to the committee, and ways and means will be devised whereby they wijl be enabled to havo tennis courts On the same terms as the other clubs, but we cannot undertake to provide courts and gear free of charge, and maintain the same out of a capitation of £44 per annum. — Wo are, etc.. W. 11. Hampton (chairman), D. Murphy (secrutary), A. C. S. French, William Vincont Ridley, T. 13. Cooley, P. Carrnody, A. D. M'Carthy, T. Dwyer (members Mitchelltown School Committee), J. H. Malcojm (head master;.

While assisting in unloading the Koko Head at Clyde-quay Wharf on Saturday, Charles Edward Framplon, a resident of Petone, was struck on the head by aplank which fell from a sJing. He was rendered unconscious, and after receiving medical aid had to be removed to his home. Thu Commercial Agency, Ltd., auvcrtistt fov daime in. ua fltiigßsd estate*