MORE GROUND NEEDED

Evening Star, Issue 20666, 13 December 1930, Page 13

MORE GROUND NEEDED

BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL PLAYING AREA , SUGGESTION FROM MR JOHN O'SHEA Speaking yesterday afternoon sit the annual prize-giving ceremony ot the Otago Boys’ High School,- Mr John , O’Shea submitted the suggestion that -.the Asylum Ground from the Kaikorai ■ tram line to the school should ho vested iii the school for the purpose of a play- . ground. i , , “ The playground attached to the school is 'inadequate,” stated- Mr , O’Shea* ‘‘and the inclusion of the old Asylum Ground, in which we played . football and cricket within the school grounds, is a matter that should receive consideration: ' The whole of this area should, in the opinion of many old hovs. as well as myself, be transferred to" the school for the purposes of a playground and a playground only. '* I have no doubt His Worship the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black), who has always been, behind every local project that js for the permanent benefit of the city, will do his best to give effect to this proposition. In the matter of playgrounds the Otago Boys’ High School is far behind the other centres. The iWellington ’Boys’ College had ; sixty acres or land vested in it in 1872: This land was certainly not flat land, but so far the authorities have been able to .form two magnificent playing grounds, and they are now forming a third. “ This school to-day gathers boys from every class in the community, and there is no institution, in Dunedin that represents in microcosm so effectually the best, elements of all classes of the community. The provision of proper playing grounds for the boys is a matter of urgent necessity. The extent to which thtrschool has extended is to be -teen from the fact that in my day them were about 200 boys, and to-day there are over 600. More space is required, and the necessity has only to be seen in order to bo remedied, “ The transference of part of the Town Belt to the school authorities for the purpose of a playground may require legislation, but that can easily ho obtained, and is a'matter which the. city fathers and the<local'old boys can facilitate. Tlio ground for Wellington College was taken out of the original Town Belt provided by tho New Zealand Company for Wellington. “ I do not think, though in this matter I speak subject to correction, that the area held by this school exceeds ten acres, Others schools, such as Waitaki Christ’s College, and Wairarapa High School, have, to my knowledge, mag nificent playgrounds. I have no doubt that the necessity of tho school in this respect has' only to v he mentioned to be given effect to with enthusiasm by .the City Council and tho citizens.”