FURTHER DELAY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 66, 19 March 1915, Page 4

FURTHER DELAY

HUTT JPARK AND TROTTING CLUB WILL FIELD SPORTS, SUFFER? All members were present at a special meeting of tho Hutt Park Committee, held at Petone last evening for the purpose of considering the following motion by Mr. C. P. Brocklebank :— "That the portion 6f the agreement with the Trotting Club granting a fifteen years' lease be rescinded, and the matter be again considered." At the outset, Mr. Hobbs raised the question as to whether a. member of the committee could keep on sending in ■ notices of motion, and thus holding matters up. They should, he said, have •some understanding on the question. The Chairman (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) i'eplied that there were no standing orders governing the question mentioned. In speaking to the motion, Mr. Brocklebank said he was surprised that the motion should be questioned at all. Only at last meeting a. member had done exactly the same thing, and he hoped members did not think ho had done anything - unfair. Regarding the lease, he said that many people had expressed the Opinion that fifteen years wa6 too long to lease any public reserve. If they leased the park for so long a term they would be shutting out other sports, for a great deal of the flat land would be required by the Trotting Club. " Are we," he asked, "to conclude that these grounds are to be idle for 15 yeare as far as field eports are concerned ?" The Hutt people contended that the main thing was to make the park pay, but that was not the view held by the Petone people. Petone people were willing to pay if only to preserve the ground as a public Teserve. At the previous meeting he had voted in favour of leasing the park for ten years, without any right of renewal. On the chairman calling for a seconder to the motion there was no response. Mr. M'Ewan accordingly seconded the motion pro forma. Mr. Townsend expressed himself as opposed to reducing the term of the lease. Mr. Hobbs opposed the motion, contending that the committee would be able to provide for other sports. In answer to a question, the Chairman stated that there were at present five sports grounds at the park. At most the training track would not encroach on more than one ground. Mr. Harcourt thought it was preposterous that business men should come and -discuss the matter when they were all at twos and threes as to whether the proposed tracks would infringe on the sports grounds. He moved as tin amendment, "That the committee hold the matter over for a time, and that meanwhile a survey of the track be made and a plan prepared and placed before the committee." " The amendment was opposed by Mr. Hobbs, who said he had been down at the park several times, and did riot see that the sports grounds would be affected. Mr. Hodgins concurred. ' Further discussion ensued, and eventually the amendment was put and carried. Mr. -M'Ewan intimated that the plan would be prepared by the Petone engineer (Mr. A. Cowie). Mr. Palmer then rose and stated that unless the Trotting Club could have a distinct understanding within a month it would have to withdraw.