RESERVES LOAN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 134, 3 December 1926, Page 11

RESERVES LOAN

NEED FOR MORE GROUNDS

SPORTS BODIES' REQUESTS

CITY COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO HELP

A large deputation, representing -II the sports and athletic bodies of AVellington, waited upon the City Council last evening with two main requests: That the council should support aud lay before the ratepayers the Reserves Committee's special loan proposals, aggregating £50,000, for the extension and improvement of reserves, and that an endeavour should be made to reach .finality in regard to the compensation to be paid to the City Council in respect of the taking over of the Thorndon Esplanade in connection with the present reclamation. During the life of tho present council, said Mr. E. "W. Shallcrass, no marked progress had been made in connection with city reserves, little beyond maintenance having been undertaken, which did not compare altogether favourably with the progress made during past council terms. Some of the more urgent works were the provision of adequate dressingshed accommodation at Wakefield Park, the erection of a golf house at the Municipal Links, and the provision of playing areas for basket ball players, for whom no provision at all had so far been made by the council. PROVISION OF BATHS. Another matter, that concerned the Reserve- Committee was the provision of centrally situated tepid swimming baths. In 1923 the council had agreed to a proposal that the baths should be built on the site,of the old power station in Mercer street, and the deputation urged that that plan should be carried out at the earliest possible date. In the opinion of sports bodies that was the best and tho only site for such public baths. Five years ago, continued Mr. Shallcrass, legislation was passed enabling the council to obtain compensation from the-Bailway Department and Harbour Board in respect of land taken from the Thorndon Esplanade, but though five years was a long time, no finality had been reached. The deputation suggested that the matter should now bo cleared up, and the bodies represented would not object if an exchange of land were arranged, as long as the exchange arranged was to the benefit of city sports and reserves areas. Though the original legislation provided that the whole of tho money to be received by the Corporation as compensation should bo devoted to reserves purposes, a clause in the Washing Up Bill in the following your gave authority for a portion of the moneys to be expended upon the widening of Wakefield street. That clause could, have been stopped at the time, but those .looking on did not at that time regard the arrangement as "a. straight-out steal" from tho Reserves Department. He suggested that a refund could - very easily be arranged when future loans were being prepared. Mr. Shallcrass referred to the magnificent gift by a prominent Wellington citizen of £5000 for tho provision of children's playgrounds, and also congratulated the Director of Parks and Reserves upon the fine appearance of city parks and reserves. Mr. J. Prendeville, supporting Mr, Shallcrass's'^remarks/ pointed to the increasing numbers of those engaging in the ..various sports, and to the need for a corresponding increase in play areas. Miss Armstrong put the case of the basketball players, and showed how the game bad grown in Wellington. At present no provision was made by the council for grounds, The association having to pay heavily for the use of school grounds, and it was faced with the difficulty of finding a ground for the New Zealand tournament next year. , ANXIOUS TO ENCOURAGE SPORT. The Mayor- (Mr. O. J. B. Norwood) said the council as whole desired to do all it possibly could to encourage outdoor sports Ho referred to tho financial aspect of raising loans, and pointed out that if money was borrowed the rates would probably have to be increased. In regard to" the question of Thorndon Esplanade, he said that the new.City Engineer would go into the financial side of that as soon as possible with the engineer of the Harbour Board. So far as the tepid baths were concerned, they could, not be provided for a long time yet if the proposed Mercer street scheme was to be given effect to. He could not commit the council in that matter. The property was valued at £96,000, and an enormous sum would have to be expended in equipping the baths: It did not appear to be an economical proposition. There was another scheme for the provision of baths in a position which he thought equally central, and it was estimated that it would cost less than a quarter of the price of the Mercer street proposal. He believed it would bo the duty of tho council to consider the other proposal seriously. Mr. Norwood said it must be admitted frankly that the girls and women were not nearly as well catered for as tho men in regard to sport, and the council must give very careful attention to the representations and see how far jit could go to more nearly equaliso the position.