LEASE OF TOWN BELT AREA

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 136, 6 December 1926, Page 8

LEASE OF TOWN BELT AREA

PERMANENT EXHIBITJO-T BUILDING.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—ln Friday's "Eveniug Post" appeared a report of City Council deliberations in regard to the proposed handingover or leasing of a portion of the Town Belt to the Wellington Winter Show Association. As this is a matter of great importance to the city, might I suggest, before anything further is done, that th« public have access to the latest proposed conditions under which the present council arc willing to hand over public ground to this particular group. If the best interests of Wellington and its people ar* to be served, it will be necessary to scrutinise very closely indeed all conditions proposed by either party to the agreement. At a special meeting (see Lvemng Post," 19th November), the City Council received and adopted, with some amendments, the report of a special committee set up to go into the terms upon winch this ground would be handed over, lhcre is a whole column of "The Post" taken up with the conditions and amendments, some of thera so involved that I venture to say that few of the-present City Councillors could say offhand exactly what they mean. The safeguards ar* more apparent than.real. It is decidedly unwieldy in its present form, and there art loopholes which will cause any amount o_ friction and b<y_ blood if not removed. Let us take a portion only of one of _m many clauses:— That no shows or exhibitions which are in competition with the functions o_ the association shall be permitted by th» Corporation without the consent of th* association; but that the Corporation shall, be the sole judge as to which of such shows or exhibitions is in conrp* tition with such functions. Is not this a truly delightful state of affairs. Boiled down, it means that th* City Father or Grandfathers, a responsible body of gentlemen elected by the citizen! of Wellington to look after their interests, are willing and ready, with one exception —Mr. Semple—to hand over to a commer-cially-minded group, the Winter Show A* sociation, land belonging to the people, to erect a building or buildings. No other association, society, or group, if in any way competing with them, io have th* use of the building, even when it is not being used by the Winter Show Association. To get down to tin-tacks, it means the* there cannot be a sumnie'k. show association; The best interests of the city can only be served by a permanent exhibition building, open to all groups, the more tho better, as in London, Glasgow, and all th* prominent cities of Canada and the Unit*d States. The Dunedin Exhibition waa _ splendid example of clever planning and brilliant organising; thanks to the manager. Through the same gentleman tba worst faults of Wembley. were carefully avoided. The Dunedin authorities knew what they were about when they secured the services of the manager of the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow's permanent exhibition building. Mr. Norwood, before going further, would be well advised to get m touch with Sir Walter Montgomery, th* Lord Provost of Glasgow, who, I aesur* you, Sir, would be delighted to supply all particulars of how a permanent exhibition can be run succesafully. Visiting deputations from other parts and corr«r pondence regarding different "aspect* of municipal activity are daily affairs. Another point: At the last exhibition' on the waterfront, of the Winter Sho* Association, it was a matter of general remark by serious and decent-minded people that it was to be regretted that in the interests 'Of the younger generation all games of chance were not forbidden. I really think it is the duty of tb« oouncil to see that this shall not occur again. Admiring as J do Mr. Norwood as a fighter, as all good sportsmen of Wellington must do who have watched the affairs of the city closely during the last few months, I feel sure that he will be supported by the general public if he state* that he, the Mayor of Wellington, tha Capital City of New Zealand, will not ba a party to gambling in any shape or form ""- tho proposed permanent exhibition building or ground*. . relatinr .: thereto. LhUdren and all young people at their most impressionable age should most cci* tamly not be brought in contact with gambling or games of chance in any shape or form. They have not the stability of maturity, ajld habit* engendered amid unhealthy excitement and surrounding* have later deplorable result* in too many cases. The many eases of ruined live* in New Zealand, many of them on the brink of __ prosporoui career, have been, tho oauM of some very strong remarks from both Magistrates and Judges, who have noticed the great increase in the last few year* with alarm. The many case* of breach** of . trust have caused great *urpr'ae to visitors from other parts of the Brittah Empire. Mr. Norwood and Wellington can give the other cltie* and town, ot .New Zealand a valuable and valued lead.' ~-l am, etc., 4th December. SEARCHLIGHT.