HATAITAI NEEDS

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 123, 25 May 1920, Page 10

HATAITAI NEEDS

MEETING OF MUNICIPAL ELECTORS' ASSOCIATION ■ The annual meeting of the Hataitai Municipal Electors' Association was held in the, Hataitai School last evening, there beingxa good attendance. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt (president) occupied the chair. ' . . . . The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet (already published), referred strongly to the need for improving the school playground, making it a place where* all kinds of games could be played by the children under a competent playmaster. (Applause.) Regarding the tunnel question, he said they at last had the city authorities thinking on the subject. The great question now was the site to be chosen. They were confident that a tunnel could be cut through the hill which would be a convenience to all, and when the time came for authorising.it they should make^ their voices heard. He believed that something would happen during the next twelve months. He urged that they should look forward and anticipate the requirements of the district regarding small playgrounds when the. whole area was buiu on. He considered .that when the new tunnel was put through, the Hataitai Land* Company would have thousands of pounds put into its pocket as a result, and he suggested that the City Council should approach the company with a view to its setting aside five or six acres of ground for recreation purposes.' That would only be 2 per cent, of the iirea held by the company, and his proposition, he submitted, was a perfectly reasonable one. They should certainly make a biff bid for it, and if they were successful he felt sure that they could guarantee that the reserve would be properly equipped. He stressed the necessity for the creation of public opinion in the. matter of town-planning, whirh was a science of itself. At present in New Zealand we had no expert townplp.mier available, though one was certainly required. Such an expert when appointed should bo free and independent of any political mill. The civic authorities also throughout the country slfould have a full say with reference to the future cutting up of estates for building on. (Applause.) ■ ■ The motion was carried without discussion. The following offices were elected for tho ensuing year:—-Prpsident. Mr. A. Leiuh Hint; vice-m'ff'iH.ents, Messrs. A. T). Bayfield. W. J. Gaudin. r-nd W. Bear; committee, Messrs. Cathie, Buckfaster. H. Tnlan. A. J. Bnrnett. H. D. Edwards. J. Dowling, A. .T. Lankshear, F Crerar. H. Burt, H. Senrle. L. A. Clark, P. Kasson. A. Bfftt, W. Travers, J.- .T. Feil ; secretary. Mr. J. L.' Arcus; auditor, Mr. H. Amos. During the evening a highly acceptable n-usical nvocramme was nvovWod. Those who rontrib"ted were Miss BiT-Vnw^.er ..Pflirocors. B?pv. Timvl'ntr.Rnd Fielding. Mrs. Tol-in and Miss Fielding acted as accompanists. ,