HATAITAI AGAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 137, 13 June 1939, Page 7

HATAITAI AGAIN

HOME FOR ATHLETES

GROUND IMPROVEMENTS

The Wellington Amateur AthletiO Centre decided last night to accept a proposal to take the use of Hataitai Park for athletics for the next three seasons at £50 a season and to give the £25 promised for improvements at the ground towards the cost of providing seating accommodation, on the understanding that the seating is. available by the coming season. The president (Mr. A. C. Kitto) said that he met the chairman of the City Council reserves committee, Councillor Duncan, and the Director of Parks and Reserves, Mr. J. G. MacKenzie,- and they had discussed with him the question of giving the £25 for seating.accommodation and had also made the suggestion that the centre take the ground for three years. . Mr. H. Sutherland said he thought the suggestion of taking the ground for three years was a good one. It would enable the centre to make sure of a ground for training purposes and small meetings for the next three.years. Mr. T. W. Leslie agreed. "We cannot lose that home we have got at Hataitai," he said. "Hataitai Park wa3 a success last year from the standpoints of training and getting, the athletes together." The question of whether the centre would be able to get the use of Athletic Park was raised by Mr. H. J. Miller. "IN THE OLD DAYS." Mr. D. Pedersen expressed the view that it was highly desirable that the centre should also have a ground from which, through the gate receipts, it would be able to build up its funds. Money had been made at AthleticH?ark "in .the 'old days," and he thought it would be a good plan if meetings were held there now and again. The secretary, Mr. A. D. RowSe, said that collections had been taken up at Hataitai and had proved worth while. Mr. Pedersen suggested that those who contributed to the collections must have been pure philanthropists. He contended that if money could be collected at Hataitai it would be far easier to do so at Athletic Park. Mr. Rowse said that the centre could make a charge for admission at Hataitai Park. In addition to providing seating accommodation, the reserves committee had in view erecting such fences as were necessary to stop people merely walking into the ground. Mr. Kitto said he thought the centre would be able to have the use of Athletic Park for big meetings should it wish. He had made inquiries and the practice of the Rugby Union, although in the summer Athletic Parle was largely used for cricket, was to reserve a certain number of Saturday* for other sports bodies. ELECTRIC-LIGHT SPORTS. The question was raised as to whether electric-light meetings could be run on the Basin Reserve. "The lights are anybody's baby now," said Mr. Kitto. "It would cost a fair amount now to put them in order." In his discussions with Councillor Duncan and Mr. MacKenzie he had been asked if electriclight meetings had any appeal to the; centre. He had- replied that when the centre had made application to use the Basin Reserve for that purpose the reserves committee had offered the centre Monday nights, which, as anybody should know, were of no use to the centre. A Monday night was not suitable for electric-light meetings. He had suggested that if the lights were handed over to the centre as the centre's property, the centre perhaps could arrange to have them put in order. Mr. Miller suggested that if the council would do that the centre might be able to arrange a working bee to carry out the work. If that were done, added Mr. Pedersen, the lights could be made revenue-producing by the centre hiring them out. Mr. R. Watterson said he had gained the impression after hearing Councillor Duncan speak at the annual meeting of the Hataitai Municipal Electors' Association that the reserves committee had in view doing some major works at Hataitai Park. Mr. F. Bond: I think we would be foolish if we "dickered" around in this matter. Mr. Rowse: We only lost £20 on Hataitai last year; in fact, not that. _ In response to an inquiry, the chairman said that the reserve committee proposed spending more than £25 on seats at Hataitai Park. The sum of £150 had been mentioned, and he understood the reserves committee also intended approaching the Rugby Union for a contribution towards the cost. Father T. Cleary: If we can only get enough seats to keep the people off the ground th'- money will be well spent The motion to agree to take Hataitai Park for the three years -and to give a grant towards the cost of the seatmf was then passed.