The Park Road Reserve

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 133, 8 June 1935, Page 4

The Park Road Reserve

(To tho Editor.) Sir, —The man in the street, that true representative of a city’s thought and well being, will view with apprehension the possibility of our City Fathers bartering away a municipal reserve to the god of golf. The proposal to lease acres of city-owned property to tho Palmerston North Golf Club, is, to say the least, a pandering to a minority band of privileged “sports,” whose fount of time and money is a source denied the average man. Already the city possesses at least three golf courses, and it is quite safe to say that not one of these is graced by the membership of the ordinary working man. The cost of clubs, membership and green fees prohibits such a thing. There is some talk of tho golfing fraternity being the only people lacking municipal assistance, but can anyone point to a ground, municipally owned, that provides accommodation for senior Rugby? Here we have a national game, played and witnessed by members of all classes of society; a sport that costs but skill and physical fitness ns entrance fee, and gives added pleasure to thousands who fail to get beyond the sideline. Where is our Rugby ground, the acknowledged headquarters of the game? On privately-owned Showgrounds, demanding a percentage of every pound taken in the gate money, Wellington, Wanganui, New Plymouth and Feeding all have their municipal Rugby football grounds; but Palmerston North, more fortunately endowed with suitable open spaces than many other centres, still pays toll to a private concern. The Sportsground serves as a municipally-owned cricket ground, so what more fitting than making the Park road area cater for Rugby? lu addition to this it is understood that a private individual has gone to a good deal of expense in preparing golf links at Awapuni. The reference by one eity councillor to the revenue likely to accrue from the use of our buses is rather humorous, as tho biggest percentage of golfers have their own cars, and I can hardly imagine the public patronising the buses in order to watch golfers at play. I fully realise that a good deal of expense will be necessary to convert the Park road area, but the 1935 All Blacks should return with enough profits from the English tour to lend out money to unions at nominal interest for ground improvement. Summed up, it is time a city the size of Palmerston North had its own Rugby headquarters, and here is a golden opportunity to bring this about. In conclusion, I trust that our democratic councillors, during tho period for consideration of this question, will definitely eliminate tho prospect of the Park road area, being handed over to golfers, and use their powers to endow the city with a worthy and permanent venue for the playing of our national game.—l am, etc., DEMOCRAT.