Terrace End’s Gravel Pit

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 291, 9 December 1936, Page 6

Terrace End’s Gravel Pit

PROGRESSIVE ASSOCIATION DISAGREES WITH COUNCIL.

Renewed steps to get the City Council to take over a portion, if not the whole, of the Terrace End railway gravel pit, were decided upon at a meeting of tho executive of the Terraco End Progressive Association last evening.

The Town Clerk forwarded a communication received from the Minister of Railways concerning the pit and pointed out that the conditions of sale were not acceptable to the council. It had therefore been decided not to taite any further action on account of the expense involved. Tho department offered the southern portion of the pit for salo for £lO on condition that the department retained tho right to lay sidings on this land for the putpose of access to the working area. The department could not consider giving up the northern portion unless the City Council provided at its cost, another equivalent pit within a reasonable distance of Palmerston North. The new pit would require to bo opened up ready for use with sidings, so that the department would not bo put 1 1 any expense.

The chairman (Mr. F. J. Oakley) thought it a pity tho City Council had turned down the proposition as tho obstacle of a new gravel pit could easily have been got over. For a few pounds a new gravel pit could have been secured.

Mr. F. Litchfield: But they ask for the lines and a siding to be laid into the new pit. Mr. Oakley: But that should not be very difficult. The speaker thought the council had had a great opportunity in front of it and tho association should keep hammering away. Tho ideal proposition tvould be to get the whole pit and not just a portion of it. Mr. J. Davidson also urged that the matter be pushed on with. If it were dropped now it would take a lot of reopening.

The chairman thought that even the taking over of tho southern end at £lO was a good proposition. The purchase of a new pit and tho laying of a siding would be a small matter compared with the fee simple of the pit. Mr. J. A. Nash thought the tree planting to hide the pit should be pushed ahead.

Mr. T. W. Henderson thought the council should be asked to get from the department figures that would givo some idea of tho cost of what the department proposed.

It was decided to write the council urging tho purchase of the southern portion of the pit for £lO and recommending that steps be taken to see if a new pit could bo acquired for the department outside the city so that the northern portion could bo eventually taken over.

Mr. W. E. Bendall forwarded through the Fifty Thousand Club a suggestion that the pit be converted into a place for aquatic sports. Mr. Bendall’s ideas were along the lines of his letter on the same subject appearing in the “Times" recently, but in view of the uncerfainty as to whether the pit could be secured, the letter was held over.

The City Council is to be written to asking for trees suitable for planting around the pit.