RECREATION IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17483, 29 May 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

RECREATION IN AUCKLAND.

• T ■ ■■ ■ • ■ ■ WHAT YOUTH DEMANDS. BY JHILPA KEAXE. Probably, no. city in the world; is as rich in parks as London. They are to be •found right in the very heart of this great metropolis : and there are in addition ■ many surprising little bursts into garden spaces. . Yet the number of. picture theatres, the number of night clubs, the number of dancing halls is amazing. The public is insatiable in its demand for evening enjoyment. The first thought, on reading that Devonshire House is being Converted into a cinematograph and dancing halls, is a sigh that such an 'historic and beautiful building should have such an end : the second thought is that this is the age for the young, that youth will be served and better indeed that youth go to its pleasures by, way of a famous marble staircase than up shoddy shabby steps. Better that mansions become dance halls than that vice should sneak from the back streets and beckon youth to furtive night clubs. : It, is time that Auckland looked to herself, time to inqu re what she is offer- : ing to. her young people, to those who are to be our future parliamentarians, city councillors, and above all, our Mure home-in and parents. Let us count our recreations, and having counted them, let us consider whether the future ratepayers are getting fair value for their parents' money. Parks and Streets. Take a run round our parks. In Myers Park, one day recently, there, were as occupants:, two lads whose size suggested that they should either.be delivering the parcels of their employers or minding the babies while their mothers went out to work. Thoy were Using the children's swings. In Western Park, there were several nice old men sunning themselves and discoursing on the Prince. A pair of . sweethearts nestled on a seat backed by a large tree. Some little children trailed along the park. In the Domain's sunny upland were too few saunterers, in its gardens and within the hothouse gates, more. Cornwall Park, given over to motor-cars and sheep. One of these days, when labour is more evenly distributed, these great and beautiful city lungs will give their day's pleasure to hundreds. . .Go farther "afield! Cornwallis Park is .: not accessible Atkinson Park may be reached from New Lynn station plus a '■■ three. mile walk. With our present limited travelling facilities, we cannot expect '. i hard -worked mothers and .. six days' i. labouring fathers to go here for their few holidays. But this latter park is ,'. typical in the way of public expenditure. Its more .picturesque entrance has been made by the Wnitemata , County Council ■It: is bordered, on either side by private ■ property, flagged at many gates by ''keep out" notices. Then comes the road made ' to open. up the park, interesting as skirt- »■■ ing the steep depth of park-land . below, and dotted on its upper side by survey '..pegs which indicate land for sale.. These ' pegs go ripht down to the water-edge on i some of the Titirangi beaches—bathers from town and suburbs must keep. to the > road and the tide. The visitor is tempted i.(d ask why private ownership is thus j helped and advertised—by park roads: • AH these great reserves are very pleasant , when one gets there.: but Auckland in the , mass does not find them cheap or easily • accessible: So it comes that for five days i of the. week, our beautiful 1 parks are i practically deserted , whereas every night, • the streets of the town are full of life. ; Some of this crowd ought to be at home: f but at home it will not stay. Since the • mountain will, wander forth at eventide, f it behoves Mahomet to go to the moun>

tain. That is why Devonshire House is desecrated bv or consecrated to the multitude, and why pictures and dances for the many are. to take the place of roystefint* and minuets for the few. Other times, other customs! One asks why the young of Auckland prefer the streets to the city library. Youth likes to express itself, to talk., to move about; the atmosphere of a public library suits neither the student: nor the frivoller. It is dis-turbing-'for-.the one, depressing for the other.' The Art Gallery is shot, and even jf it were ' .not youth prefers moving pictures. ■'. It is of no use that wise elders shake- their heads and bemoan the restless energy of the young. What needs to be j done is to harness that energy : older | ciVzens must be taught that if they do not find decent recreat-on for the young in this vibrating, impatient age, the voung will find pleasure for themselves. We may bettor : lead. them to orderly pleasure than, let them ,be misguided by wil.l o' the wisps. ,-.'j'--> •'• "',-.'.'•' Private Profit v. Public Enterprise. \ - All the'picture theatres,; all the dance halls, all J he'billiard- saloons, all'the sly grog shops, .all .'. the betting corners—these seductive '>or sordid beckoning fingers ate each and every one run Tor private ,'profit.^;''Amnng'st','themithere' .must circu--late every month a small fortune. Private enterprise enters this field of catering for. ; the.young only on ' account of the nope and! certainty of profit. Book publishers offer lurid hction.for sale.,-and sell it be- ! cause -they, understand the shallowness of : young- desire,-' and -catering for it by advertisement and melodramatic rovers . and -contents they, profit 1 well. It'is not : their-task: in! life to .educate the young: Tor to, the .educated ..■ happiness in life ■.becomes- a. simple easily found . thing. - ?Tho-;youngi; demand more and more of the ,: unsatisfying- stuff served out to them, , just as thev prefer -..chocolate "creams with. -. coloured fillings and chemical flavours to a cup of cocoa, and 'jam tarts'.to ■ ; brown : broad : and. butter. '.One day. they will : ,;_ hue learnt- their lesson—but that is not ( now Mrinndnle the- spider weaves on I r -' for them- and the private syndicate I *' flourishes' because it .gives to. youth.-the, ■' frivolity which it demands. The local ■■ bodies' :meet -..and .pass. grants for roads, - for- gardeners' salaries, and': see not the ' 'pi occasion-- of voting citizens. filling .the tram" at' night ,in (ho search for ..- recreation /*; '-; , .! : - ' -, '■■■■';.■•.;■;■ ,!-■■ '.-,-.:' • -.■'' Lessons.', ; p.. '.-. It has been; said that, taught, by failure t; elsewhere: Amerra, boast but -.far-see,-.; v'} in it - republic. -./protected', : its../.soldiers'.- and T sailors-■bv guarding them 1 on the nt-v,' p'l si trots I crtHin people threw open their ", homes, where., young women., talked, V plive'd sang to: anv , khaki -or. navy blue*' ~ man who came ' .Patrols,! many of them -1 .voluntary": accosted" soldiers or sailors, idly '■ wondering .what to do, and invited them a- 'to come - with them to these . homes or ■ to, larger public welcome halls - Britain •.' 'found the same solution., for .the. man-on-ii have -problem Tendon became full of o'.j p'pl's and , rest houses, open to 'soldiers: n It was learnt in-war days.that if decent. d '.-recre-a-tioii arid- welcoming- companionship (I. were not provided, for men who were ,v : ! without•'•stron.'. ties -of family or friend, i [ slip: Miev were .at the merry 0f,.-the is. vii nil's ;. a-nd' the.- profligate every d'j'town lurks immoraitv .with its- poor i-.'! : painted semblance; of ■'merrme.ut- the i : dregs covered' -hv " the bubbling , froth i l Youth la-Kins experenCe., cannot, disd ,rr,-ornate between: the false and the.true dl:- here is gold- wiling., for . civic- riders =t •; whv tike •' arli -nt.a'ef ; of- -.this quest of ■'V;i vouch,- to provide for -t' 'evening attrac '0 ! >oTi<s Is it an impossible, dream that-our n['lo-,i| -councils give '. .their ..town halls id ( for dar.t.es,. that tliev. equip rooms .for 'ii games." miisir and the. like' "Why : should >e private Hiternrso do all the reaping/and x-' so 'much, of the Tiiilt v : sow "ng ?,'■ f'om.mun, ,a . it- ' hal'«"'?.''nnsrht with ease, censor theii ■n. cinemi p'rturec/to' apnronch. something of .t'l't'ie e'lneVivp ide-il- thev roi"ht train the rr !;rf'u-s ; ca|- -de nfr-VoWvff ■ people at n low 1 I pl-ar^'''■'.", -S nrp "ovoTing. he/) "ive- us. -.':'■ .fo/'niu-h;' in -.th" '~"- " iv of libraries and i- parks: ■ i-n'iueed bv'the vnung-in the dav rs I.imev'the'pvten= ; on. of t'-eir,work to evenhe ingrecrpp*'n "- ■* ~ - character, he but'' tending towards the uplift of the iv future Citizen, is but one step. Never was >'n there a better time. ; 'n this afvrf-war demand for evening pleasures.