THE FOXTON RESERVES ACT, 1878.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 18, 24 October 1879, Page 2

THE FOXTON RESERVES ACT, 1878.

♦ A few months ago an application was made to the Foxton Local Board by a resident, to lease a part of the recreation ground near the Omarapapaka Bash, but as the members were not fully informed of their power to deal with the matter, it lapsed. At last meeting, the subject was again brought up, several members thinking the town was subjected to an actual loss through the reserve being allowed to lie idle. The matter was therefore left over for farther information as to the position of the Board regarding the reserve in question. We may explain that " The Foxton Eeserves Act, 1878," which deals with this particular reserve, is a short Aot of two clauses, the first being simply the short title, whilst the second is as follows. 2, If shall be lawful for the Governor to convey to the Board of Commissioners of the local district of Poxton, all that piece of land thj boundaries whereof are set forth in the Schedule hereto, to be held in trust for a public park and reoreation-ground and rifle-range for the inhabitants of Foxton

and it* vicinity : Provided always that in the deed of convoynnoe there alia'l bo inserted a condition that all rents an 1 profits derived from the siid land >hall l>e expunded in tho improvement of tho said land, and for no other purpose : Provided further that the said Board of Commissioners shall not, have power to lease any part of the said land for a longer period than five years, and that such leasing shall b3 by public auction. SCHEDULE. All that parcel of land ostimatod to contain 393 acres, being the Sections numbered 477 an i 4ii) on the plan of the Township of Foxton, in the Manawutu District. Bounde.l towards the North by Section number 382, Township of Carnarvon, 4911 links ; towards the East by a road line, 9042 links ; towards the South by Section number 537, 3968 links ; and towards the West by Section number 476, 8044 links. No conveyance of the reserve to the Board has yet been made. Their first duty will therefore be to request one from the Government, and then submit the lease for five years of the reserve, either as a whole or in sections to public competition. In arranging for the lease, we would suggest the Board should hold say 50 acres of the land most suited for a public park, and employ the rental received from the remainder in improving the part retained. Should they determine not to do this, a separate account should be opened at the Bank, and the rental received from the reserve funded with a view to improvements at a future date. It is evident the reserve in question, comprising 898 acres, is a valuable endowment to the township, and its possession will enable the Local Board to secure for the present and future inhabitants of Foxton an excellent recreation ground.