UNIVERSITY SITE BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14767, 24 August 1911, Page 6

UNIVERSITY SITE BILL.

PASSED BY LANDS COMMITTEE

NEED FOR PROMPT ACTION.

PETITION LARGELY SIGNED.

Urgent need exists for prompt action if the public of Auckland are to avert tho danger of losing the Metropolitan Grounds in connection with the attempt to utilise them for University purposes. This is apparent from the fact that yesterday afternoon Mr. R. A. Armstrong, secretary of the Auckland Citizens' League, received the following telegram ,from Messrs. Frank Lawry and A. E. Glover, M.P.'s:—

" The Lands Committee passed the University Site Bill in its entirety. Mr. ; Lawry, a member of the Lands Commit- ; tee, had no notification that tho matter was coming on. A motion to postpone the Rill for a week to hear objections was lost by five votes to four. It will proi bably be before the House on Friday. Wire action - 'you intend to take."

'Replies- were at once telegraphed by Mr. Armstrong to Messrs. Lawry and Glover asking them to take a firm stand in support of Auckland citizens' wishes to retain the Government House grounds intact.

The. following telegram was also sent by Mr. W. J. Ralph (president of tho league) and Mr. Armstrong to every member of both Houses of Parliament:—

"Auckland citizens are eagerly signing a petition protesting against taking any part of the Government House grounds for University purposes. Thousands before nightfall. Unquestionable demonstration of public opinion." Copies of tho petition 'to Parliament referred to were tabled yesterday at Cus-toms-street, Victoria Arcade, Victoria and Wellesley Streets, and these were signed by large numbers of citizens. The ' first instalment of the petition, bearing between 1500 and 2000 names, was sent away last night to Mr, A. E. Glover,' M.P., at Wellington. The wording of the petition is as follows.—

1. That your petitioners view with intense indignation an attempt that is being made to take possession of portion of an Auckland domain, described in the Public Domains Act, 1881, as the. Government HouseGrounds, situate in the City of Auckland, for the purpose of erecting ' a University College thereon. 2. That while your petitioners realise the need for an up-to-date University College in Auckland, they hold that, as there are other sites available.' the establishment of the University should not bo at the sacrifice of a public domain and open space, in the heart of the city. 3. That your petitioners foresee, owing to the rapid growth of Auckland, that tho land to be set aside scheduled in the Auckland University College Site Bill will, in the near future, be not sufficient for University requirements, and your petitioners fear that, should the University be established thereon, further portions, or even the whole of tho Government House grounds, will bo filched from the people. ... 4. That your petitioners arc most strongly opuosed to the Auckland University College Site Bill, and urge your Honourable House of Representatives, as niardians of the people's estates, to give effect to the people's wishes.