THE CONDITION OF LAKE LOGAN.

Evening Star, Issue 11642, 31 August 1901, Page 8

THE CONDITION OF LAKE LOGAN.

A meeting was held last night in the Albany street School Hall to discuss the condition of Lake Logan with a view to bringing about some improvement in the lake. There were about forty people pre-, sent, including Crs J. M'Donald and Maitland. Mr Richardson was chosen chairman. The Chairman explained that the object of the meeting was to determine what steps it would be best to take to induce the Citv Council to do something towards putting Lake Logan into good order, and maintaining it as,a pure and fairly deep sheet of water, for the purposes of boating and swimming, and generally as a valuable adjunct to the City's recreation resources. Tho Chairman detailed the past history of the lake and the Pelichct Bay Improvement Committee, which had worked hard in the early days to obtain the lake. They had at that time got, by public subscription, £SOO, which sum the Government subsidised £ for £, and the City Council supplemented bv £IOO, making £l,lOO in all. Now all that money had been spent on the lake, and it was scandalous that money thus expended should be allowed to be lost in the way it was. Ho expressed bis opinion that if this body of water, forty or fifty acres in extent, were in any other city of the world than Dunedin. they would have had by now a fine clear-water lake, and a treeencompassed esplanade, making one of the finest pleasure resorts the City could possibly have. But instead the' Council did nothing, and spoke of filling up the lake! That scheme, however, he thought they need not consider, for he'had figured it out that it would cost £62.500 to do it, and with a tramway to build and a drainage scheme to follow, the Council were not likely to spend that amount. The Chairman 'said he believed that the sum of £l5O would cover the expenses attached to the few alterations necessary. These included a new culvert to increase the scour, the diverting of the sewage from St. David street and Dundas street from the lake to the bay, and regular attention to the opening and' shutting of the flood-gates. It was imperative that the drainage from the houses on Harbor terrace should be diverted, as that was the cause of all the trouble. Mr D. H. Hastings said the thanks of all who took an interest in the lake were due to tho old Pelichct Bay Improvement Committqe, and he, would move—".That the Pelichet Bay Improvement Committee be resuscitated, and that the Committee, when so resuscitated, approach the City Council and solicit their financial assistance to keep Lake Logan and its surroundings in good order." _Mr W. Brittenden (president of the Model Yacht Club) seconded the motion. It.was supported by Mr S. C. Napier Bell (captain of the Dunedin Amateur Swimming Club) and Mr William Wills (captain of the North End Boating Club), who promised the support of their respective clubs. Or M'Donald- said that he was quite in favor of the Council helping the movement. He had already raised his voice, as they knew, to induce the Council to spend a. little money to help in cleaning the baths. He thought that the Council might well spend £2OO in trying to improve the lake. He advised the meeting to get the health officer to inspect the lake, and he would almost assuredly condemn it.—(A Voice: "He has already done so."). Cr Maitland said it would interest the meeting to know that Lake Logan had been receiving the attention of the Council recently. It had, however, been unfavorably reported upon by the city engineer, and also the matter had passed out of the hands of the Reserves Committee to the Works Committee. The only Leith Ward member on that Committee was Or Lawrence, who was absent. He promised the movement his support, approved of the scheme suggested by the chairman of raising money and getting the Council to assist, and said he would try and arrange that at tho next meeting of the Council the question of Lake Logan should be discussed. Tho following were then elected members of the Committee:—Messrs J. Richardson, W". Brittenden, S. C. Napier Bell, A. M. Sims. Wm. Wills, A. Herdman, E.' J. Wilkinson. D. Matheson, Thomson, J G. Butler. E. J. Gibb, N. Farra, D H Hastmgs, A. Gillies, F. W. Biggs. A D°\Vr Brom> ' and thc of the