SPORTS GROUNDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18624, 4 August 1922, Page 2

SPORTS GROUNDS

USE OF LAKE LOGAN. CONFLICT OF INTERESTS. A COMPROMISE REACHED. A conference was held in the City Oouttoil’s Chambers last night, at the instigation of the Amenities and Town Planning Society, to discuss the advisability of securing the reclaimed land at Lake Logan as a recreation reserve for the city. There were represented the City Council, Education Board, University Council, Otago Expansion League, University Students’, Association, and the various football, cricket, and hockey clubs, as well as the organising Amenities Society. The Mayor (Mr J. 8. Douglas) presided, and in introducing the business of the mooting paid a tribute to Mr Bathgate’s efforts for the welfare of the city. Mr Bathgate said the Amenities Society was aware that negotiations were in progress between the University Council and the City Corporation for the purpose of securing suitable recreation aleae. From what it had heard the society was of the opinion that the proposals were quite inadequate and it had therefore convened that meeting. He pointed out that Dunedin was growing steadily, though slowly. The population would probably be doubled in the next 30 years, and they should look at the matter from the point of view of those who were coming after them. If they 1 did not take the chance that was offered by Lake Logan, their last chance of securing or obtaining a park of any considerable size would bo gone. He suggested that the land should bo leased by the City Council, and that the Harbour Board should be content for a while, at least, with a moderate rent. It could not in fairness expect to receive a rent that was equal to tin© ground value of the area, because it would be saved the expense of reading, and so forth, that would otherwise be incurred if the land wore out up for settlement. He thought the education authorities might waive any rights they had to the area, because they oould get a site for a school elsewhere, and to cut into the middle of the area for a yhool, as was proposed, would spoil the pork. Whatever agreement was oome to, legislative sanction would doubtless be necessary, but this oould easily be obtained. Tile area might be called the Douglas Park, after the Mayor, during whose reign' he hoped it would be given effect to. He would like to see the whole park reserved for recreation purposes, but it might be possible to leave a strip round the foot of the hill for building. He would like to see one part of the reserve left as free ground for the use of the younger children.—(Hear, hear.) He urged them to take a long view of the matter, and drew a picture of what the park might mean to Dunedin in the future. He moved:

That this meeting thoroughly approves of the proposal that the whole of the reclaimed area of Lake Logan, from Union street to tho hill, should be converted into a public park, and strongly urges the City Council to enter into negotiations with the Board to give effect to this resolution. Mr Crosby Morris,. who represented the Otago Cricket Association, seconded the motion. He reminded them of the groat mistake that 'Rad been made in tot securing Forbury Park when it was available. It was their duty more than ever to secure the land that was available at Lake Logan. He thought the disposal of the land for sports purposes would have to be left to the City Council, because he did. not see how else they could have a governing body for all tho various sports. He hoped that no building would be allowed in the area, because tho hill formed a natural grand stand which could be made very attractive. He understood the University ’Council Whs negotiating with a view, to securing portion of the ground, but it was a question whether that body should be allowed to off a part of it like that. Probably the'University, Council would bo allotted'-a fiortion of the area, but it should all be eft open, and none of it should be feifced off by any individual body.—^Hoar,,hear.) EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS. ’ The Rev, Dr Cameron (Chancellor *of Otago University) said the University Council represented a large body of - young people, and, if they took a long view of it, would one - clay represent a much larger number. The council had waited on the Harbour Bpard with a view to securing a considerable area of L&kc Logan.. The board was not willing to part with the but it had agreed to lease 20 acres to them for 50 years, and it was their intention to .make it the best recreation ground of this dominion. He argued that the University was growing at such a rate that there was no room for it .where it was, and lie suggested that the citizens should help the University to secure the whole 60 acres of tho lake.—(Laughter.)', “You may “•think it a dream,” ho said. ,‘T have visited Chicago, where they have 150 acres, and at, California University they have 500 or 400.” Mr J. H. Wilkinson said he was heartily in sympathy with the proposal to secure Lake Logan as a recreation area, but he was afraid those who had proposed the motion were rather late in recognising the possibilities of the site. Some of them had had their eyes on it for 11 or 12 years for educational purposes. He recounted how arrangements had - been made for the exchange of'the present Albany Street School site for a site of eight acres on Lake Logan. The proposal had been, endorsed in Wellington, and it was too late to ask them to- give up what they had obtained. He explained that it was proposed that the new school should become the Normal School, but that it had been proposed in Wellington that the site shoilld be enlarged from five to eight acres, and that the Training College should ultimately/-be erected there too. The thing had gone so far that, he was afraid it was impossible for the Education Board to surrender its right to the eight acres. He suggested that those-, who represented primary education represented an even larger number of young people than the University Council. They were all actuated by a desire to further the welfare of the city, arid he hoped '*hoy would recognise that tho Education Board had been Actuated by the same, motive. He considered that, even allowing for what the Education Board and the University Council had obtained, there would b© enough loft for recreation purposes. Cr Hancock suggested that Mr Tannock (superintendent of reserves) and Mr Loudon should give their opinions to the meotTHE NEED FOR GROUNDS. Mr Tannock said he was out for all the tecroation grounds ho could get. When ho came to Dunedin 18 years ago they had eight playing grounds. Now they had 41, and they still seemed to be just as hard up. Where there were four matches on one ground on a Saturday it was very hard to keep the area in decent order. “We do need the whole of the 60 acres for grounds, and for nothing else,” he said Regarding the University’s needs, he referred to- the case of Edinburgh, where tho City Council ground waa the recreation ground for the students. There would be no difficulty about allotting the ground. Tho students could have all the room they wanted. At the present time they were using the north end, and there was no difficulty. They played away all day.— (Laughter.) It was the same at the Oval, where the Technicat and Training Colleges ■ each had their day. “Wo want two and a-half Ovals at the north end,” ho said; “an open area which would be suitable for all tho various games. At tho present rate at which Lake Logan is being filled in none of us need trouble much about how it will bo laid out. But we need not wait till all of tho area is reclaimed. Only the other day I saw a few acres that wo could make use of now. Mr J. Wallace: That’s the school ground. Mr Tannock: I don’t caro what around it is. At any rate the school is not there. We could put a plough and scoop on. and have tho hoys playing cricket there next year. He added that if they did not take the chance offered by Lake Logan tho position in the future would bo very serious.—(Loud applause.) Mr J. A. Park supported the motion on behalf of the Otago Hockey Association, and recalled the fact that he, as Mayor, had approached the Harbour Board on the same subject 20 years ago. Mr Loudon said he was there "as a citizen, and not as a representative of the Harbour Board. He explained ilmt the reclamation of tho lake had been undertaken as a choan method of (rotting rid of the dredgings from the Victoria Channel Tie would always fight against any proposal for tho bnihhn" of houses nr factories on the site. Tho Harbour Board was entirely dependent on its revenue to keen up the port of Otago, and if tho dues were ton excessive it militated against Dunedin. Me believed, however, that if they offered a reasonable sum to the board they could acquire the whole area.—(ApplausaJ

A CONFERENCE PROPOSED. Mr H. Harris supported the resolution on belialf of the Rugby Union, and suggested that a conference with the University Council and the Education Board would result in a satisfactory conclusion, Mr J. Wallace (chairman of the Education Board) said they did not oppose securing the rest of the area as a reserve, but they were going to keep their site. The others had wakened up far too late. Sir George Fenwick said he could not agree with Mr Wallace that they were too late. They were going to have a playing area.-—(“Hoar, hear.”) He produced a plan showing the land cut up for small building sections. It would be a calamity if this was allowed to happen, he said, and he did not think the Harbour Board would press it. He supported Mr Harris’s suggestion for a conference with the University Council and the Education Board, and said ho hoped Mr Wallace’s threat to build a school there would never be carried out.—(“Hear, hear.”) He thought they should not deal hardly with the Harbour Board, which had great responsibilities. He understood thas the land was pledged as sec.uritv to debentureholders, and ho (jid not know whether the board would have the power to selb Mr Loudon; It is just a question. Mr L. D. Ritchie (University Council) said he hoped the resolution would be amended; otherwise he would have to vote against ic. Mr E. Anderson (Otago Football Association) and Mr J. Leitch (University Students’ Association) supported the motion. Dr Cameron explained that it was not proposed to erect any University buildings on the Lake Logan site. Mr Errington (Expansion League) Suggested that when the railway was shifted it would release a suitable site for the Albany Street School’s requirements. Mr Wallace; I wouldn’t have it. _ , It was agreed to add to the motion the .following words:—“Without infringing the claims of the Universitv Council or the Education Board, provided that no buildings or fences are erector; except with "the, consent of the Citv Council.” This alteration was intended to cover the provision of dressing sheds. The motion was carried, with dissenting voices only from the University Council representatives. y It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Harris, that all the organisations represented at the meeting should appoint a representative to confer with a view to giving effect (- 0 the resolution. Mr Harris was appointed convener of the committee thus formed.