Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1928. A VALUABLE ASSET.

Patea Mail, Volume XLIX, 26 November 1928, Page 2

Patea & Waverley Press MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1928. A VALUABLE ASSET.

’PUB public oil I’atea and district iiave to tluink those representatives of His ALajesty the King who, iu former years, set apart some t>s acres of .land iu the borough as a reserve for recreation purposes. •Unfortunately beyond setting apart the land nothing further was done with regard to empowering the body of men who from time to time patriotically give their services freely and ungrudgingly as the controlling authority over the reserve, to raise the funds needed to maintain the reserves as recreation grounds. In spite of this handicap, however, the Domain Board in the past succeeded in turning what, was at one time a wilderness into a fine sports ground with tennis and crocpiet courts attach v.l. The remainder not rocpiired lor recreation purposes was allowed to be used for grazing purposes. A portion of this lat t w has uniortuu’ately become overgrown wiki lupin and the problem now befoie the board is whether it shall close this portion up altogether as u grazing paddock, or evolve some scheme of raising funds to enable it to eradicate the lupin, which bids fair to take charge of the paddock. The funds at the board’s disposal do not suffice to maintain the portion of the Domain that is used for recreation purposes and clear the grazing portion as well, ami as the land was set apart solely for recreation ami not for grazing purposes It is plainly the duty of the board to maintain the p>ortion used by the general public for games first and spend any balance it may have after this work has been done on the land that is used solely for grazing purposes. It would be manifestly unfaih 'f,o, neglect the spoils ground for the sake of the grazing land. The bequest Hud the board was recently granted cannot by any stretch of the law be utilised for lupin clearing, as the money was given for a children’s playground first and improving the domain for recreation .purposes afterwards. This being the case, the hoard is "faced with the task of (a)- raising the necessary funds to clear its grazing land; or (b) carry out the work by means of working bees. Las! Saturday but a few responded to the call for assistance in, this connection, and it is hoped that more will lend their aid when the next bey is held. The hoard cannot do impossibilities, and as we have stated, Us first duly is to see that the ground under its control!, is available for recreation purposes. "We hope that the public who wish to see the domain continue to be what it is. a valuable asset and a good advertisement for the town, will rally round the board and assist them iu the task they have before them, and which they arc 1 pat riotieally doing their host to carry out.