ANDERSON'S BAY INLET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14685, 19 November 1909, Page 3

ANDERSON'S BAY INLET

AM IMPORTANT QUESTION. THE CITY INTERESTED.

A meeting of ratepayers of the Bay Town District was held in the Sunday School Hall, Anderson's Bay, last night, to consider an important point which has arisen in connection with the securing of tho Bay Inlet W a public reserve. Were it not for tho mud at low water this inlet would possess scenic attributes of some excellence. A s matters stand it is the rcver6e of attractive, save when the high tide mercifully covers its nakedness. Last night Mr J. G. L. Hewitt presided 'over a large attendance, which included three city councillors, and many prominent citizens and local residents.

The Chairman recapitulated the march of events, which,' he said, had turned the inlet into a mud flat, and subsequent dealings botwecn residents, local bodies, and tho Government in respect thorelo. Ho related how everything was in frain to have this area proclaimed a reserve, how a petition was framed and forwarded, and how things were just coming to a head. Then, four days later, tho Town Board decided that the matter should be delayed, and all progross in that,direction was blocked.—(Cries ot "Shame."). Anderson's Bay, the speaker declared, was destined to becomo to Dunedin what Toorak was to Melbourne, and the JNorth Shore to Sydney.-(Applause.) Mr S. S. Myers moved :- ~ Tha' *his- meeting of residents of the Bay Town. District approves of tho scheme to secure tho Anderson's Bay Inlet as a public recreation leseravand that Messrs T. Begg, T.Pryor, A. 11. Tonkinson, and the mover, bo appointed a committee to wait on the Bay Town Board, and request the board to uso every endeavour to have the scheme carried into effect.

Mr Myers said they must- follow the example sot by their ancient city fathers, and try to secure this reserve for the Bay It was useless-that night to discuss further details. If they affirmed tho main priiicmle it would suffice to begin with. He did not caro .in whom the reserve was vested, provided that it became a public reserve for all time. .

Mr W. G North'seconded the motion. Mr W l'urnott suid lie was present to support the motion, and congratulated the chairman on. the clear and able manner 'in which he had ; put this matter befcra the meeting. He -apologised for the absence of U bllkison, who was greatly interested in the object of the meeting. The question of public reserves was really of more interest to ladies and .to children than even to men. He felt sure that this mcetin" was not in any way hostile to the Harbour Board-a body which had do;,e, and was doing eo much. All he and his hearers wished waa to retain something .which belonged to tho city and citizens of Dunedm. faome of them, might wonder at him being ther-3. They might consider it purely a local matter. Ho could assure them it was not, and that tho City of Duncdin was going to help. Thoy might be surprised, but in Duuedin space conditions were getting almost as crampsd as in the Old Country. They were getting penned in. Ho was a ratepayer' of Duncdin, and, therefore, had an interest in the tramways, and he need scarcely remind them that if this scheme was carried out the tramway returns on this lino would bo doubled. Hebelieved in every man being drilled and taught to swim. Such an open space would be well adapted for the purpose of drilling. As to ways and means, ho believed ■ that the Picton Harbour Board Act would exactly meet this case. He was strongly in favour of this movement, and sincerely trusted thoy would be,successful. Mr J. B.Shacklock said tho day had gone past when peoplo considered reserves unnecessary Dunedin could now only grow in th : s direction, and the population in 10 or 15 years would be very considerably i larger than at present. Up to now the matter of 6pace was not sc vor'y urgent, but that would come. At present the residents were not in a.position to spend any very largo sums of money on the inlet; but water was vastly better than mud. The question of reser.ves was going to bo an exceedingly • difficult problem. • Forbury Park had gone into the hands of private individuals, and the wisdom of that step had already boon questioned by Eomo people. ;

Mr J, J. Marlow said it was necessary to have ground extensive enough for recreation and drilling. At present, supposing they had to prepare contingents for active ser.-ice, where could thoy get enough open ground nearer than the Taieri? This piece of ground would never bo needed by the Harbour Board, in connection with Duned'n as a free port," in the lifetime of this generation or that of tho next. If this piece of ground wa6 set aside for recreation purposes the citizens of Duncdin would probably find, the money to make it usefil. Whatever was done for this ground would bo for the benefit of the whole. Tiny might ask why the city should have this; but was any distinction made as to who should use the reserves? As to the Harbour Board, ho never quite realised how they had gone .about this matter.' When a bill was prepared, tho people should have the right to analyse a matter touching their rights. Mr C. S. Owen said he knew ho would be m the minority. Ho wished to explain that he and Mr Somerville had resigned from the committee; but he could not vote against this motion, as he was as much in favour of clearing this inlet as anyone else Ho must, however, take exception to the way m which this meeting had been colled, in deference- tr the gentlemen who comprised their Town Board, they should have been given a hearing in the matter; but • W' ll '.?d that thoy had not even been invited-A Voice: "They were invited.") Most >.f the speakers that night came from JJunedin, and he would say to this meetmg: Be careful tow you hand yourselves over to the city." If, as alleged, the Harbour Board was trying to get something for ta?f,. , tTiK , T ,en . ls not S° in S a little too fast?. Ho had- resigned because he beten was taking a wrong step. The bill, as he understood it, was JTn , oni l' Md M thou & h ' tlie "»Wente T»rL ?. to J ot 3 " stas muoh fro, n 'ho wo,i7 ( £ nC ' Sof KV) Oh, he know ho ™~ tnl i" a mlno "ty.-(Voices: "Then you must be wrong."). The speaker went T r f•'t, JUt ,?. tllou ? ht > >n accordance with British tradition, that thov ought 'o be.-r what tne other side had to sav. liiWnt ™ aB! Thei ' w ™' inv!f *d «o be

«™ r J r<JUI,! F IO , n: r be ° 3 ' our p!,r(lon . 1 *as not invited. '

Jil ?l' h ,™ ntlm !" ; S. said the meeting must aeknowMge that it had not enough information to pass a. resolution putting « it would do the Town Board (elected u> t.io residents) on ono side, even if ( a 6 they seemed to think) they Vere no good. At any i«.te, tho Town Board possessed certain informalion which had caused it to hold its hand. Ho lielioverl he was richt in saying Hie Harbour Board had not pin

the bill before Parliament. Had thev read their Otago Daily Times, they would have known something about tins. He would 1011, thorn that to reclaim even a quarter of this area would cost £6000, and finally they would nave to hand thomsclvcs over to a "Greater Dunedin," to which he was strongly opposed. This resolution amounted to a vote o{ censuro on the Bay Town Board. Ho would move as an amendment—" That this meeting bo adjourned till after the conference."

Mr Youngson seconded tho amendment, which was lost.

Mr John MaeGrogor pointed out that no claim was mado in this motion as to whom the reserve was to he vested in, so Mr Owof could take no exception to it. Tho idea that filling this in would, intcrforo with the " scour" of tho harbour' had been exploded. This inlet had ceased to form part of the harbour, and obviously tho thing to do was to mako it into a reserve, There could bo no doubt that tho Harbour Board was trying to get this area vested in itself. It was vain to go on trusting to this mysterious action of tho board. They know that the Harbour Board had been promised this area by a Government, or a member of a Government, a 6 a quid pro quo for the land taken away from them on the other side of the harbour. The only thing to do was to "kick up a row." and act immediately, and with determination.

Tho following letter was read from Mr .1. Somerville (chairman of the Bay Town Board)-" I have just returned from tho north this morning (18th), and as I have a private meeting to attend it will bo impossible for me to bo present with you, much as I would like to have come. At the same time allow mo to say that, in view of tho decision (in which I concur) of the Town Beard, it is desirable, for. reasons duly considered by them, to slav our hands meanwhilo in this matter. iam o[ opinion that it is Iml.li unwise and disloyal for certain members to seek, as <e being done, to continue the agitation." The motion was then carried by a largomajority, and further, it was resolved—

"That the committee appointed by tho previous resolution be requested to forward a copy thereof to Mr E. H. Clark, M.P., requesting him to use his best efforts to oarrj* out tho wishes of tho meeting; also, to request tho chairman of tho Town Board to do his best to ha-.-n the instructions of the meeting given effect to." CONSIDERED BY THE TRADES COUNCIL. Tho above question was considered by the. Otago Trades and Labour Council last evening, and after a full discussion the following motion was passed: "That this council gives its undivided support and assistance to the promoters of tho movement, which has for its object tho obtaining from the Marino ment that portion of the Upper HaTbour now known as Anderson's Bay, to be devoted to the purposes of public recreation, believing that with the rapid extension ot our combined district the time is opportune for making full provision for the future requirements of ai>. over-growing population."