THE UNIVERSITY SITE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16327, 6 September 1916, Page 6

THE UNIVERSITY SITE.

The outspoken utterances of the Mayor of Auckland upon the value of Government House and the Metropolitan Ground to the people of Auckland should help to convince Ministers who have no local interests that tho University site question cannot bo cavalierly disposed of. This question would have been disposed of long ago had Government given those who have adopted "Metropolitan Ground or nothing"i as their battle-cry clearly to understand that such a proposition could not be considered. Wo have always had to fight in Auckland for the preservation of our open spaces, against most of which there have been organised and systematic raids, defeated sometimes with difficulty. The attempt to secure a corner of Albert Park for a Police Station, to secure the lower corner of the same park for a Police Court, and to extend the Hospital grounds by erecting an infectious diseases hospital in the Domain, are cases in point. The open space and historic residence which have been so strenuously claimed by mistaken friends of university education must become park and public garden, with memorable associations and traditions, if they ever cease to be gubernatorial. It is quite.easy to convince South Islanders of the folly of such a civic claim, but it is quite impossible to convince Aucklanders, as a body, that Government House and its grounds should be filched away from them under any pretence. There are a dozen sites about Auckland entirely suitable for university purposes, and as Cabinet has decided that Government House is to be repaired we may hope to hear that the College Council has made up its mind to take the best suburban site available.