NEW LOAN PROPOSALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15563, 21 March 1914, Page 8

NEW LOAN PROPOSALS

ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR. GILLIES PARK SCHEME, DRAINAGE AND ART GALLERY, An address in support of the City Council's loan proposals, on which a poll is to be taken on Thursday next, was delivered by the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) at a meeting of Ponsonby residents which was held in the Leys Institute last evening. There were about 40 persons present, including Messrs. J. Court. A. J. Entrican, G. E. Read, H. N. Bagnali, J. Trevethick,' G. Knight, and R. S. Briggs (members of the City Council).

The Mayor explained the four loan pro-posals-£BO,OOO for drainage, £13,000 for new stables and depot, £4000 for Art Gallery extension, and £15,000 for the purchase of the Gillies Estate at Parneil as a public park, making a total of £112.000. The loan proposed for drainage, he said, was very necessary to remove existing defects. It was essential to abolish the 20 odd sewers which were now discharging into the harbour proper by connecting them with the new intercepting sewer, and also to provide for the reticulation of the lower levels, as well as to relay a number of old sewers which were in a shocking condition. The stables and depot, which it was proposed to erect in Patteson Street, were also very necessary. In regard to the proposal to extend the Art Gallery, he said that this .institution was the admiration of the whole of the Dominion, but they had now reached the limit of their present accommodation. It was proposed to put a further wing along Coburg Street, which would provide sufficient accommodation for the next 25 years, and thus enable Auckland to keep the gallery up to its present standard of the best in the Dominion. In speaking of the proposal to borrow £15,000 for the purchase of the Gillies Estate as a public park, the Mayor described the situation and the beauties of the property, which, he said, had quite an historical association in that it was for some 40 years the residence of the. late Mr. SwainsQii., New. Zealand's , first Attorney-General. He replied to the criticisms of the Herald in terms similar to those of his letter which appears below. In concluding, the Mayor stated that all the works proposed were absolutely necessary, and they could all be carried out without increasing the interest rate, as the rate-fund was. already in credit to the extent of several thousand pounds.

Messrs. Court, Bnggs, Entncan. and Knight spoke in favour of the park and other schemes embodied in the loan proposals. Mr. John Gittos moved a motion expressing approval of all the loan proposals. This was seconded by Mr. P. McEhvain (Eden Terrace) and carried unanimously. THE GILLIES ESTATE SCHEME. MAYOR REPLIES TO CRITICISM. In reference to the Gillies Estate the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr) writes as follows : — Hostile criticism serves only to strengthen the case for Gillies Park. Let me briefly analyse the latest press deliverance : ftobson's Bay has been abandoned. We are now toid that the money (£15.000) to acquire the Gillies Estate would be better spent in the Domain. This is an utterly futile suggestion,. for the simple reason that we are not asking for £15,000 for the Domain, and the. defeat of the Gillies Park proposal will not enable one penny piece of this money.to 10 to the Domain. It is quite misleading & suggest to the ratepayers that by turniiff down the Gillies Park proposal they rill get £15,000 for the Domain,, They rill simply get nothing. The main reply, >f course, 'is that if the city were to spend rvefl £50,00.0 in the Domain it will -not ittract the people half so well as "-a heauifnl seaside" park such as the Gillies projerty is. Mothers and families won't lave the Domain on their minds when ,hey can get a sea-side garden such' as 'oint Erin and Gillies properties are. Already the" Domain has beautiful bush. ind fine gardens., and yet families from Sewmarket and Epsom pass it by and go a Point Erin for their summer picnics. " The press tries to frighten ratepayers ay holding up before them the prospect >f a railway and a 'straight road' running •pnnd the foreshore. The reply to this is >bvious. The railway proposal has been m the tapis for the last 30 years, and; no Sinister'can be found with courage >nough to ask Parliament for about iialfi v million pounds to do}ke. work. If there iad been an immediate prospect of .trie Ashore railway, the Government would lot this week be putting, on gangs ol labourers to widen the Parnell tunnel. This bogey is too unsubstantial to Tighten a single ratepayer. . "Now a word as to the straight road ,hat we are told is to run from Quay Street to Orakei. This is another myth. fins road, if it is to go straight, may ret to Orakei in the time of our greatgrandchildren—certainly not before. Even Mr. Gunson, who is so keen on it, iwo months ago was quite unable » zive me an assurance that the road would -each even as, far as Campbell s Point n 20 years. The cost of making a straight road across Hobson Bay abeiut a nile in front of the sewer would be enornous- There would be an average oi.Mft >f filling across the two miles of water. "The peculiar part of this straight road justness is that we are told that a straight road is beautiful town-plannhg. I «anlot find a single town-planning authority * ivho advocates the monotonous straight •oad nowadays. The true town-planning dea would be to take the road round Dampbell's Point and curve it in through ,he bottom of Gillies Park. In this way ,he citizens will retain and not destroy ihe features of the fore-shore landscape. Hie jutting headlands and the magnificent leach at Judge's Bay can be kepi {or 'uture generations. ■, "To sum it all up, I do hope that ;no ratepayers will' have more sense than /O be. deterred from their plain duty by die suggestions of foreshore railways and ihese imaginary straight running bonlerards. These lovely things are merely promises of the future. Tyet us gel something for the present. We can get the Sillies Estate, which is already laid out is a park, for the comparatively small rum of £15.000, with its ocean views, its sea bithing, and all the other seaside snjoyments. This is not an experiment [ am urging. The Ponsonby seasi ie park rith its adjacent baths to-day attracts our times as many people as 41 the )ther parks put together. Let us ji* e •o the eastern part of the "city the same p-eat privilege.' "It means no increase whatever in our 'ates. The maintenance charge is so ight that it will not be felt, "and the mblie will have the satisfaction of securing another asset which should be a. jo? o the mothers and "children of the city md a delight to the visitor."