CITY PARK FOR SALE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 6

CITY PARK FOR SALE.

[ii'i TGI-ECSRvrir.— OVR" COHBKSV'OSnSN'X ] Wellington', Thursday.. DriuNi; the present Mayor's successive terms of office the City Council has been spending much money on providing for Wellington additional parks and open spaces, of which it has been in decided need for a great many years. A couple of parks have been added, but the gain seems to be greatly discounted by the loss of the Athletic -Park, in Rintoul-street, on which the principal football games, both local and inter-provincial, [have been played for the past decade. A;, decision to sell the park was.- arrived at .yesterday afternoon, when a meeting of the directors of the Athletic Park Company was held to consider the position of the company .in respect of the present agreements with the Wellington Rugby Union and other sporting bodies. The point taken by the directors is that while there have been great cash takings on the ground for years past, and while (to cite one special instance) the Wellington Rugby Union received £900 as its share of the gates last year, the company which formed and maintains the ground has .;not been able to pay a dividend in the last four years, and has only twice paid dividends in the course of its existence. There is some heartburning amongst the directors in consequence of the Wellington Rugby Union's failure toreply to an offer to sell the park to that bodyj made by the directors in December last. It is anticipated that there will be great competition for the park amongst people desirous of vising it. for building pur•poses. In addition to the shareholders' money there is over £3000 of debentureholders' money sunk in the park, and it is contended that the best interests of all who have money sunk in the park will be served by its sale. . - ;. ..