COUNCIL UPBRAIDED

Evening Star, Issue 22202, 3 December 1935, Page 3

COUNCIL UPBRAIDED

PROPOSED BEACH AMENITIES IGNORED ST. GLAIR ASSOCIATION DISPLEASED “ Can you visualise anything the City Council has done in the past 15 years for the St. Clair Beach, the most popular summer playground, and perhaps the city’s greatest asset? Why it should be so apathetic is difficult to comprehend, but 1 call it ‘ baloney ’ and I think I am perfectly justified in saying so, for f feel we have not received the support in our efforts that should have been forthcoming from the council.” In these terms Mr 11. C. Love (president), speaking at last night’s annual meeting of the St. Clair Beach Improvement Association, upbraided the present and previous councils for their discouraging attitude toward providing proposed subsidised beach improvements. . ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF YEAR, The report stated that the committee had approached the council in regard to certain improvements to the water iront an 1 the playground, but these were not yet completed. The council had made application for a donation toward the cost of raising the wall around the baths, and this had been agreed to subject to the condition that the council would undertake certain improvements which had been suggested and would De subsidised by the Amenities Society. _ The Domain Board had been successful in its effort to have the new esplanade completed as far as the steps before Christmas of last year, and this nad been a most appreciated improvement. The construction of the balance of the extension was progressing favourably, and this, together with the walling of the bank, would effect a permanent improvement to the waterfront. The committee had undertaken the provision of six seats, and these had been made by the Tramways Department, a donation of £lO being made by' the association toward the cost. BEACH PATROL NECESSARY. The report added that the committee had again been pleased to assist in the matter of beach patrol, which had become a most essential /service during the school holidays. ' A grant to cover four weeks’ engagement of the patrol had been made to the Surf Association, and the City Council had arranged for it to be carried on for a further four weeks. Although the committee took the credit for inaugurating this most necessary service to the children and public generally, it was still felt that the nature of the service was such- that should be guaranteed and provided by the council. After a lapse of five years (the preview. one having been held in 1930) it had been decided, in view of the giac'ual economic improvement, to revive the annual carnival, so that public support could be gauged. Judging by the thousands who had attended or: tnc three February nights, the carnival was still favourably regarded by the public. Thanks were due to all wflo had assisted to make the carnival a success COSTLY IMPROVEMENTS. The Secretary reported that to date the association had expended £1,546 on improvements to the beach, including grants toward the cost of the following worksßathing pavilion (£1,244, half cost), extra ladies’ accommodation at the baths (£132 10s), wall near the baths and football ground for school children (£SO each), new surf club room (£25), beach equipment (£22 10s), pavilion clock (£l2), and 'Esplanade seats (£10). Mr H. H. Henderson (treasurer) submitted the balance sheet, which revealed a credit of £197 14s lldj an increase of £35 over the previous year’s balance. NO DEFINITE PROGRESS. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, Mr Love apologised for being unable to report any definite progress, though this was not for the want of trying. All the association’s efforts to have something in the nature of permanent improvements provided at the beach had been ignored by the council, except in the case of the wall at the baths. The association had commenced its campaign on July 3, offering to subsidise the cost of improvement works, but none had been started. What money had been realised by the carnival had been more or less pledged for improvements to the beach and children’s playground and assisting the life saving club. The association realised it could attempt nothing extensive without the assistance of the council, Mr, Love said. With this in mind, together with a suggested outlet for useful and permanent work for the unemployed, a scheme had been submitted to the council for the extension of the Esplanade toward the baths, and the provision of a children’s paddling pool near the baths. After a conference among-interested parties the scheme had been modified, and the Amenities Society’s co-operation had been promised, but when a plan of the work had been forwarded to the council nothing was heard until three months later, when the association learned that the report had never been considered. A Member: Pigeon-holed! Mr Love added that a deputation had then forcibly placed the association’s views before the Works Committee, but with.no great amount of success. The council seemed to be intex-ested in no big scheme of improvement at ,St Clair. Just why, it seemed difficult to understand. He was not only referring to the existing council but to the pre vious one, whose attitude had been just the same. All it would consent to do was to spend £2 10s on planting flowers on an area in Bedford street; work which anyone could see would last no more than a fortnight, and which had since been demolished by the seal. CHILDREN’S PLAYGROUND. “ The children’s playground hardly stands description at the present time, for it is an absolute disgrace to Dunedin,” Mr Love declared, and was supported by hear, hears.” Because, like the Bedford street area, it was vested in the tramways department, it was not counted as a reserve by the council, and the tramway manager and engineer seemed to have no eye for amenities, but only for revenue from tram fares. The ground had been allowed to go from bad to worse, the association’s offer to contribute £SO toward improvements (including levelling part of the area ami enclosing it within a.n ornamental*stone wall) not having been accepted, while there continued to bo no prospect of anything being done before the holidays. PLANNING FUTURE ACTIVITIES. Any permanent work at the beach was too large for the association to tackle alone, Mr Love continued. Thousands of pounds would be required to provide the proposed southern ex+0116(011 of the Esplanade, where the

only shelter from southerly winds could be obtained. Yet if this work were done it would simply revolutionise St. Clair as a summer resort, and there was no other part of the city that attracted people in anything like corresponding numbers. Finally, Mr Love cited sanctioned waterfront improvements to the value of £30,000 in Sumner, Christchurch, and of £9,000 in Oamaru, and said that in view of these facts it seemed that the association had arrived at a stage where it would have to make a serious decision about its future activities. Although its past efforts had been restricted, it could claim to have been fairly successful, for it had been' directly responsible for the bathing pavilion, and had assisted with many smaller improvements about the beach. The Domain Board’s work _ in completing the northern extension of the Ksplanade as far as it had gone reflected credit on every memher_ of it, and the thanks of every St. Clair resident were duo to the board. The time had arrived when the association should seriously endeavour to obtain the council’s co-operation to do major improvements, one of which might well he the removal of the band stand to a more suitable site. Mr J. 11. Callander seconded the motion, and the report and balance sheet were adopted. -OFFICE-BEARERS. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted President, Mr U. C. Love; vice-presidents—Messrs J. R. Callander and E. C. Armitage; committee—Messrs D. S. Buchanan, E- N. Falck, AT. A. Robson, W. Brinsley, jun., *l. M. Rodgerson, H. D. Gillies, and W. J. Davidson; lion, secretary, Mr H. E. Lyon ; lion, treasurer, Mr H. H. Henderson ; bon. auditor, Air P. *T. Priest; lion, solicitor, Air J. W. Thomson.