VICTORIA PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13055, 21 December 1905, Page 3

VICTORIA PARK.

FORMAL /OPENING BY , THE MAYOR. Tbe Mayor .of Auckland {Mr. A. M.Myers) , L formally opened Victoria to tbopublib' use and enjoyment yesterday afternoon.' The Mayor' was attended';by the town clerk (Mr. H. W. Wilson), and '. Messrs; ',' C. .?. ' Parr, R. Farrell,< G. Knight, A. E. Glover, J. Court, and L. J. Bag-nail, members, of-the City Counoil, were also present. Members of other local bodies were present,, including Mr. W. J. Napier '. (representing the Harbour Board), Mr. J. J. Bennett; (Mayor of Newmarket), and Mr. J. Parrel!' (Mayor of Grey Lynn), together with members/of the borough councils; also Mr.. F. E. Baume, M.H.R., and Mr. F. Lawry; (M.fl.R. After giving a history of the negotiations which had led up to the City Council acquiring- the park site from the Harbour Board, the Mayor said one of the most marked features of modern life was the tendency of the population to abandon the country and concentrate in the. towns—a tendency also to some extent < observable even in these colonies; and the deterioration in the national physique which this appeared to bo bringing about was giving rise to grave apprehension. It might bo hoped that some means would be found of arresting this migration from the country to the city; but in any ease,, unless some very unforeseen changes took place in the conditions of life, a large proportion of mankind must always continue to live in towns, and as long as this was so it was a matter of national importance that everything possible should be done to make town life as healthy as possible, and to abolish or mini- ■ mise those evils incident to it which tend to physical degeneration. '; Now, it. would hardly be going too far to gay that the causes which made the average' townsman less robust than his brother in the country ( might all bo reduced to two: lack of fresh air and lack of sunlight; or perhaps one j might add a third, lack of opportunities of healthful recreation and exercise. But the one supreme advantage enjoyed by the countryman was that ho could' get fresh air and sunlight in unlimited quantities, while the townsman got comparatively little of either; moreover, the countryman's work as a rule gave him all the exercise ho wantcd, and even if it did not, ho had no difficulty in getting more, which was not by any means always the case with the townsman. It was becoming more and more clearly recognised that fresh air and sunlight .were necessaries of life; if they were not essential to life itself, they were to health and happiness; and one of the most important duties of .a municipality was to procure for its citizens a liberal supply of them, both by enacting and enforcing regulations against overcrowding, and against smoko and similar nuisances, and by providing ample open spaces as " lungs "-for the city. An experiment of great interest was now being tried at Letchworth, in the Old Country, where a " garden oi'iy" had been founded, in which every house stood in its own 'garden, and there were public parks as well. He feared they could hardly hope, under present conditions, to attain to such an ideal state of things as that, although the natural surroundings of Auckland lent themselves to such a condition of things more than any city he know of. Owing to the wisdom of their predecessors, Auckland was remarkably well supplied with breathing spaces; and the problem of providing fresh air, which was so seriously exercising the minds of older municipalities, need not prove very difficult of solution with them. They had the Victoria Park of 15 acres, the Albert Park of 11 acres, the Western Park of 13 acres, the Domain of 188 acres, a number of smaller reserves containing in the aggregate over four acres-— 242 acres; - and last, but not least, the priceless ■ gift of Sir John Campbell, .•.'•Cornwall Park, of-,23o'acres, making a total.'of/1,4,72, acres. (Cheers.) Nor must .if be r, forgotten in this connection that their harbour, 'jn addition'to its other uses,-. 'Was-, of bathe value *li6'therri' 'as a lung; and this -hi'ad©, it all the more'• fittings that when land was taken .from.it some part of .it should', be,set aside 'foi' the purposed '-He* "was., very, glad that this crowded part of .the city',• with its large .working class population,, now possessed- a park "to /• whioh ; the come for , fresh air and sunligh% for rest 1 and relaxation; where' the- children -might play amidst ■ wholesome and ■ pleasant; sur-/! roundings, and where the youth of the/ district might enjoy their pastimes without having first to travel to the other side .of the city.. Besides providing.parks, he would, venture to add that it was also the duty of the civio authorities 'offer some inducements to the people to use them, more particularly by providing music; and ho trusted that the time would come when the municipality; would recognise their responsibility in this direction by subsidising enough bands to enable people to listen to music in the various parks on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons, and sometimes also in the evenings,- as they were so fortunate as to possess a. climate which allowed them to spend the evenings out of doors during a large part'of the year.. With plenty of 'air spaces, tin-ample, supply of pure water, and a perfect system of drainage, their city should become one of the healthiest in the world. (Applause.) In addition to the annual rental the Council, had expended the following sums in laying out the Victoria Park: Formation and levelling, £2*93 8s 8d; planting and grass, £89 83 sd; carting timber, tools, etc. ,= £448 13s Id; fencing and draining, £1934 2s; surveys, preliminary expenses, £99 17s ■ lid: total, £5070 10s Id. A tender for caretaker's lodge, costing £378, had' been accepted, bringing the total to £5443 10s Id. i The following amounts were estimated to be required to complete the laying out of the park; pavilion and kiosk. £2000; bandstand, £250? roading and tilling, £1500: total, £3750—a grand total of £9103; so that as £8000 was authorised, permission would have to bo obtained from the ratepayers to expend the balance, practically £1200. to finally complete tho park. The fact that the city'was spending no' less a sum than. £3503 on the parks this year showed that it recognised the necessity of making the " lung," spaces a source of pleasure and utility, which, wise policy ho earnestly "trusted, would be. a continuous one. (Applause.) Of the estimated expenditure on ail the city parks to March 51, -.1906 (£3500),. a' sum of. £2430 had: been already expended, and there was' £1070 yet to bo spent upon these very necessary public works. ■■' , '. " ' . .',*"

The Mayor then declared the park open, and the announcement was followed., with cheers. "*

Mr. ,W. J. Napier, speaking on behalf of the Auckland Harbour Board, said the history of the acquisition of the park by the Oity Council, as outlined by the. Mayor, Was correct, so far as it went, but it was scarcely full ■enough. The proposal , to establish '" a parik emanated in the first instance from the Auckland Harbour Board. He, Sir. Napier, held that it would have been better had the park fence been carried right to Pattesonstreet, but this had not been done.". The Board had certainly, demanded £500 a year rente!, but the Board .Was not allowed by law to alienate any of its reserves for the purposes of a park; besides, although the rental was £500, the-Boa.rd was sacrificing" land which had an annual rental value of £12,000 to £15,000 per annum. He assured all present that the interest of the Harbour Board was the interest of the citizens. Ho hoped that many thousands of children; would spend happy days in the park for years and years to come. (Applause.) i- •

. Mr. J. J. Holland, who was 'Mayor/ of Auckland in 1894, was on the platform. He it was that moved, at a Council meeting', "That in the opinion of the Council it is necessary and expedient for public health and recreation that Freeman's Bay,' or 20 acres of it, be obtained as a reserve for the public." Mr. Holland, at the invitation of the Mayor, said he congratulated the chief magistrate, the members of the Council, and the. citizens upon the opening of the park. They had a progressive Mayor, a progressive Council, and he believed progressive citizens. (Applause.) All they wanted: was the money to make Auckland one of the noblest cities in the world.- (Applause.) He had looked forward to that day for years, and it had given him the greatest satisfaction to be present, at the opening of the park. (Applause.) , - , . ; , . ' : _, ... Mr. F. E. Baume expressed his pleasure at being present at'the opening of a park in the initial stage of which he had been concerned." They 'Had 'looked"; forward to that day for. upwards of.ll years, and? they had been; well Repaid. ■ They co»dd->not- possibly go; too far in the way-. of -having as many air spaces in the oity as" they .Could got. (Applause.) "These, spaces should , not be regarded"' as direct revenue producers, but as open spaces lor the children. The young folk to be seen running about that day indicated the large numbers of children who would use the park. It. should not be given up to any syndicate of sport. Football and cricket wow all very well; but they needed ample play grounds for the'children, and would need; then? more-;'; and the city, would feel more benefit from-that, even though in an indirect way, tham-, jf ; they, .derived any revenue from the ground "for sports purposes. (Hear, hear.)' A .great deal of what was being done for' the advancement of the city was due to. the .public spirit, of the Mayor—-(applause)but at the same time His "Worship was ' supported • by a most progressive and farsighted'Council. (Applause.) They lived in " progressive times, and if the citizens desired to progress

"they must back up- the. Council. He re-> gretted that there was not a larger attendance there that day. Th<a present occasion J was the consummation of a very important public ■ (Applause.) • -' _ • ' ' " ■'.■ ■' ~! . .The. Mayor announced that thft Council! had purchased ; four X dozen seats for the p;'.rk, and special facilities for; children; such a'j swings, would be provided: ' The park i belonged;/ to-the. citizens, and he, hoped they -would' regard it as their own property 1 . In "Victoria Park trees had been'rooted up; but he could not think that was done : by the citizens of Auckland. .-The .elder people should also impress upon tile Children that the park was theirs also' to be -taken oare of and to he enjoyed. • t)i America people left their private gardens unfenoetl in perfect safety, and no one thought'tof,'destroying them. If such was the: state of .tilings in private gardens, he folt mtjb the'citizens of Auckland would -recognise 'their duty in protecting their own gardens'aiidjparks. • :: Cheers were given for all those connected with the acquisition of /the park, also for the Mayor and Council.. .- /I'Ov. ■',*', There were some hundreds of children in the park, who gambolled, about as ;if /they had enjoyed the use of it'/years. They made themselves thoroughly "at -home; ; The Garrison Band performed a Selection ,of music from half-past 'two p.m, to .Half-past .four .p.m., and large numbers of = people were present at the opening ceremony, and afterwards spread themselves' 'about the park, apparently fully enjoying the benefit? of this latest addition to the open spacea of Auckland. .- ..:,.'. . - :