WANTED-A PARK

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 140, 11 December 1919, Page 9

WANTED-A PARK

A REQUEST FROM WADESTOWN

Wadestown residents are anxious to secure a park overlooking the entrance to Wilton's Bush, and a deputation from the Wadestown Municipal Electors' Association ' made representations to the Reserves Committee of the City Council on the subject yesterday afternoon. The deputation was about twenty strong, and the chief speakers were Messrs. E. Wylie and P. L. Stewart (secretary to the Education Board). Mr. Wylie said that he did not need to stress-the necessity of parks and other playing areas in the city, and. he thought that some form of recreation ground was very badly needed in Wadestown. Very few sites were available, owing to the hilly , nature of the district, and the Director of Parks and Reserves, who had visited Wadestown, had selected the site in the proximity of Wilton's Bush. It was true that the site was some little distance from the present population, but with the advancement of the district it would be found, in a very short time, that the area would be in the centre of population.' They felt that they could safely leave the matter in the hands of the committee ; finance was the main consideration. In this connection, Mr. Wylie said he could assure the committee that the owner of the property would extend generous treatment., to the council, under certain conditions. He concluded by saying that if the council entertained the proposal, and went forward with it, the residents of Wadestown would feel the benefits in more ways than one.

Mr. Stewart particularly stressed the need of giving, the boys and young men of the district a chance of engaging in manly sports—such as football and cricket. At the present time the youths congregated at the tram terminus each evening, and • became somewhat of a nuisance to everybody. This should be avoided, and the way to avoid it, he contended,, was to place a playing area at their disposal. The site would become more central as years went on. In reply to Councillor Thompson, Mr. Wylie said that the ground had an area of about six acres—sufficient room for at least two football grounds.

The chairman of the committee (Councillor .George Frost) said that the deputation could very safely leave the matter in the hands of the committee, which fully recognised the needs of the Wadestown district. It was the duty of the council to provide some suitable playing area for the young men of the district.