CLIVE SQUARE ENCLOSURE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3888, 3 April 1877, Page 2

CLIVE SQUARE ENCLOSURE.

Sir,—ln your issue of yesterday (30th) you inform us, that—" At a late meeting of the Napier Cricket Club it was decided to make another effort to render the enclosed portion of Clive Square suitable for cricket; and that tenders were to be called for covering the ground with six inches of black soil; which was also to be sown with grass seed, &c., &c. Now all that is, no doubt, a step in the right direction —as far as to the improvement of that portion of Clive Square for cricket;—but there is just another thing on the side of the town and the public which, I venture to think, should also be considered :—viz. ,— Whether it wouid not be better to set aside the whole affair, including the remoral of part of the fencing for the present I Mind, Mr Editor, I strictly say, for the present. For I notice that the contractors are daily advancing with the filling-in the roads in the town swamp ; and the next thing should be the filling-in the sections therein ; and towards this very necessary work (seeing, too, we are rated so heavily for forming those Swamp roads) there should be no obstacle whatever. Indeed I do not sco why, now or shortly, both works should not advance together. At all events we shall all agree in this, that when the roads are made, and the Swamp waters thereby becoming more stagnant and more unhealthy, the sooner those Swamp sections can be filled-inthe better. Therefore, as I take it, the public ground just now enclosed for cricket should be thrown open for a while, (as it has always hitherto been,) so that stones and earth required for filling-in those Swamp sections should be the more easily and directly carried through Milton Road and Clive Square ; seeing that, for a vezy large portion of those sections in the Swamp, the stones and earth for filling them in would come from the W. side of Scijide Island down Milton Road, and the present abrupt turns (both N. and S.) at the foot of the hill, round the sharp angles of the cricket ground fence, are both awkward and extra laborious to the horses, and put the carters greatly out of the way. Indeed it may be, and that I think very likely, that a tramway will be laid

down for the better and more quickly and ; cheaply performing the said work. And I believe it will be found, on any reasonable calculation, that the mere keeping-up of the fence of the said cricket ground — as against such a straight course tramway — ; would not only greatly delay the. comple- ' tion of the work of filling-in the said sections, but also make it very much' dearer ; in fact, the allowing the said fence to remain would be equal to a heavy additional rate inflicted on the proprietors of sections in the Wapier Swamp. Further, I understand, that the Mayor and Borough Council have only given to j the Napier Cricket Club a promise or right of occupation of the said enclosed ground from year to year,— and that rent free. If so, then I would also call on the Borough Council (on behalf of the welfare and health of the town) calmly to consider what I have written ; and at the same time, to assure the Napier Cricket Club, that at the completion of the said work, the Club shall have the future use of the ground, &c, &c. — I am, &c, W. Coienso. Napier, March 31st, 1877.