PARADE GROUND AND PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11201, 23 October 1899, Page 7

PARADE GROUND AND PARK.

TO THE EDITOE. Sir,—The precise way in which the above lljublio requirements may be reserved in Freeman's Bay will probably be settled in the course of the ensuing few weeks. If the administrative corporations immediately concerned are animated by the spirit of your jvd vious leading article of a few days since, .here can be no doubt that it will be settled in the broadest spirit of publio usefulness, and of recognition of the duty devolving upon such public bodies to provide means of rational recreation, a duty no longer left in abeyance, but, on tho contrary eagerly performed in tho most generous spirit by all progressive municipalities. Auckland will I not lag behind ! Still, it must bo admitted by reasonable people that there are points of difficulty which must bo met, and those of us who have taken part in public administration are w»ll aware that those difficulties can only be disanted by meeting them in a fair and reasonable manner. For that reason I am emboldened to again address you on the subject as I am pretty - confident that if the question vanish m a ' Way ' all difficulties Th Th rst/p two public bodies concerned: The City Council and the Harbour Board And while on the one hand the City Council is rightly regarded as the particular corporation to whic.t the people will look for the provision and maintenance of all that affect* toe welfare of the inhabitants of the city on the other hand, while the special duty of the Harbour Hoard !s to secure the welfare of all waterside and shipping interests, still the means of recreation on shore of the thousands who will over be employed in water- !• occupations, and of the still more thousands who Hill man the shipping frequenting our harbour, constitutes a responsibility upon the Harbour Board quite as great and as binding as that resting on tho Council for the general public Thus both bodies may' well work together for a laudable object com moil to both. 4 Still while no one will dispute the posiion I have described, the exact method and the adjustment of rights have to be considerod. l) hat the Council more particularly i thinks about is 10 amount of rent they will have to pay ; what the Harbour Board has particularly 111 view is the retention in its own hands of tho whole reclamation. The reclamation between the cliffs is about 30 acres. i\ow, it is quite certain that so large a space, every inch available for use, will not be profitably occupied for many years to come; tho frontages of course will be gradually taken up. but for a long time there must of necessity bo much unoccupied land That unoccupied land will be a continual expense to the Board, both for reasons of good order and because it will bo subject to rating. Thus were the Board to offer to the Council about 18 acres, inside of all the frontages, for the purposes proposed, then it would be rid of that troublesome administration, including reading, draining, cliannellmg, and paving, which will cost several thousands of pounds, and would also be free of rates; while, inasmuch as that part of the reclamation is tho part that will not soon find profitable occupation, the rent could very well be fixed at such a point as • would not press with undue weight upon the city. My own idea would ba a nominal rem, having in view the money saving and the special advantages to the maritime population. But the Board will not look complacently on , tho surrender for ever of 18 acres of the reclamation. Neither do I think they should. Ii we do our own duly well, we may safely leave our children to do theirs, and I think it would bo a fair and reasonable thing to lease it for a period of 25 years only. One© made a recreation ground, it will certainly ever remain so, but there is no reason why in 25 years' time the rent should not bo reconsidered in view of the then existing circumstances. In making this suggestion I would not be understood as proposing that the Board should give all and the Council nothing. It must be remembered that tho Council will have the care of the ground, which will be a continuous and not inconsiderable charge upon its funds. My suggestion then is simplyl. That the Harbour lioard should offer 18 acres of the reclamation to the City Council for a period of 25 years at a nominal rent, the Board to be relieved of tho liability to form, metal, channel, and drain tho 18 acres, and to bo relieved of rates thereon. 2. That the City Council should accept the same, undertaking to use and conduct it as a public reemfcion ground, and parade ground for the volunteers, tho latter object one of evor-growing importance.—l am, etc., J. H. UPTON, October 21, 1699.