LAKE LOGAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15183, 30 June 1911, Page 3

LAKE LOGAN

DEPUTATION TO HARBOUR BOARD. A hugo deputation, representing the City Council and t ; ho Citizens' Committee, waited, on tho llarliour Board yesterday with regard to tho preservation of Lake Logan. There wero about 25 gentlemen in the deputation. Tho Mayor (Mr W. Burnett) said tho deputation was the outcomo of a resolution passed at tho City Council meeting on Wednosday evening, when it was decided that tho couneil combine with tho Citizens' Committee to wait on the board with regard to vesting Lako Logan in tho City Council. They wero perfectly well awaro that Lake . Logan was tho property of the board, and conscqently they were appearing before tho board to ask a. favour. Ho was •sure tho board was in I sympathy with tho proposal. Other localities had excellent reserves to suit their requirements, and a reserve was badly needed at tho north end of tho town. 110 did not wish thorn, kcwever, to injure tho interests of tho bondholders or anything _ like that. The speaker said that, tho idea had been held by a largo number of peoplo that the lako belongod to the city, and this was no doubt tho reason why steps had not been taken before to acquire tho property. Cr Stewart referred to the pre-eminent suitability of Lake Logan for the recreation purposes for which it was sought. The deputation now asked tho board if it eould see its way to assist. They ventured the opinion that members in their capacity as members of the community were desirous that the area should bo secured for the city, and in their capacity as members of tho board it might be that they did not sco any difficulties in the way. H so, it would be well to tako stops at an early date to secure the area as a recreation reserve for the city. A letter had boon received fom the lion. Mr Millar, in which it was stated: "With regard to Lake Logan I think tho best course is to get tho Harbour Board to consent to iucludc it in its bill dealing with tho lWcnsbourne Reserve, and if this is done, and I am asked by the board to tako charge of any such measure it will give mo much pleasure, as in tho past, to do all I can to meet tho wishea of tho Elanedin people."—(Applause.) If thero were difficulties in tho way of tho request, tho deputation would liko to meet tho board in conference and see whether they could be overcome. He would suggest that if there was any question of a prospective loss of revenue tho answer was this: If tho citizens as a whole asked the board to carry out this recreation sehemo it was tho same citizens who were forgoing that revenue, and thoy would Jiavo to mako it up in somo other way(Applause).

Cr Todd. Chairman of the Reserves Committee, said they all knew how. important it was to have reserves in the precincts of the city. It might bo said that tho city now had sufficient recreation grounds for its present population, ttat they must look ahead to provide grounds for those coming after thorn. He was of opinion that ultimately it wotdd bo found that the present reserves would bo inadequate. He .found that they were applications constantly coming in for grounds for, recreation purposes, and" they were unable to supply (.hem. Lake Logan would make an ideal place for a recreation ground. Mr P. R. Sargood, referred to tho efforts made by cities in tho Old Country and elscwhero to provklo recreation reserves for their people, In Toronto they were forming a new thoroughfare through tho city and acquiring no less than 200 ft oil oithcr sido of the road to provide a promenade. Ho tilustod tho Harbour Board would fall into line with the City Cquiicil to carry out tho expressed desires and Wishes of the citizens.—(Applause.) Mr Mark Cohen said- nothing had struck him so much in his recent travels abroad as tho desire on the part of public bodies to make adequate provision for tho young people growing up, so. that tho physical part of their culturo might be looked after. Judge Kettle, who would be well known as a onc-timo resident of the city, ivos a gentleman who had years ago put his finger . on Lalvo Logan, and demanded that it should bo a reserve for all time for the people of Dnnedin. The speaker said that on his recent visit to Auckland lio had seen Judge Kettle, and asked him to record his recollections of 'what actually took place at that .time. Judge Kettle had replied as follows:—''Many years ago, when" I was full of ideas—such as a bridge across tho harbour to Vauxhall, a tunnel through tho hill to Anderson's Bay, with electric trams, etc.,—l. as an okl cricketer, came to the conclusion that what you now call Logan Day could bo reclaimed and laid out as a s}K>rts ground for cricket, lawn tennis,bowls, etc., and that it would bo a grand thing for Dnnedin. My idea was.that tho old rifle range (down which a very good stream ran in those days) and a strip of land all round the bay might bo obtained, and a really splendid arid picturesque public park and recreation ground bo thus formed. I fancy that I had a plan prepared myself showing what I proposed, but I am not sure. Anyway, I remember seeing such a plan, either at tho Harbour Board Office or {he Land Office, find on that plan there was shown an oval in the middle of the bay. And I fancy that when this area, along with others, was proclaimed as belonging to the Harbour Board a plan thereof was deposited somewhere, but where I cannot now recall. Tho only thing I am certain of is that I saw a plan—remember, not tho one that I got prepared—which showed the bay as it would bo when reclaimed, and with an oval in the centre. I also fancy that this was shown on the maps of Dunedin and suburbs that wore prepared from time to ■time, and it will bo strange if one such is not in the possession of tho City Council, I was moving in this matter of a, recreation and sports ground for North Dunedin between tho years 1876-1883, and I am under the impression that I wrote to the Harbour Board to see if a lease could not bo obtained by a public company if the reclamation of this area were undertaken by the board. There would probably bo sonic record of that." Continuing, t.lio speaker said as far hack as 25 years ago—ho would even go further, .and say 35 years ago—tho residents of Pelichot Bay had cast their, eyes in tho direction of scouring that lako : as a recreation reserve. There was no place in nil Dunodin that was So Well favoured for a sports ground. Tho Chairman, in reply, said he would do anything ho could to forward the desires of the deputation. But .ho wanted to say this: lie would resist as hard as ho could any attempt to take it away from tho control of tho board. Legislation would be promoted, ho beliovod, to grant to West Harbour an area of six acres and 1 a-half as a recreation reserve, but the lati<l would not depart from tho control of the board. It would merely bo leased at a pepiwooni rental for 50 years. In so far as Lake Logan was concerncd, tho board had been to a great amount of troublo and expense to got control of tiio foreshore. It had now got that control by means of a Vesting Hill, ar.d, as far as he was concerned, it would not be passed over to anybody in fee simple. Mr Cohen: Wo do not ask for that. The Chairman, continuing, said he would keep his election pledge to use all his influence _ to got Lake Logan put aside as a recreation But they must get legislation passed in the first place to absolve the beard from any obligations in the matter. The board could only give a lease of its land, and outside that it could not. go oxor>nt under sr«cial legislation. . TTo had no doubt tho board would still bo able io satisfy the folio'* at the otlior end who always had his hands held out for the interest. At tho present time tho board was being pressed pretty had with regard to recreation reserves. There was tho roservo at Unvensbonrno; thoro was this request for Lake Logan, and thoro was the aim at Anderson's Bay- However, if the pcoplo wore prepared ro pay, let them h.ivo whatthey wanted. They could tako his rasurit—<. - Mto to

Lake Logan would be the people's reserve. —(Applause.) . The Mayor asked tho board if it would set up a committee to go into the matter with representatives of the City Council and t.he Citizens' Committee. The Chairman said tho board would take Iho deputation's representations into consideration, and, later on, make what arrangenwnts were necessary. Tlie deputation then retired. At-.- IT'imel. iifte- making a few remarks which were inaudible to tho press representatives, moved—'" That a special meeting be held to consider tho matter, and that, it bo left to, the chairman to fix the <j-m flic meeting." Cr Keast seconded tho motion, which was carried.