PARK DOMAIN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18955, 4 March 1936, Page 2

PARK DOMAIN

(To llu! Editor of tlie Herald.) —.] was very pleased to note .Molop Camper's lew remarks? - published in yesterday’s Herald relative to the proposed lease'of the Park Domain to the Racing Club, anil l certainly think that the proposal calls for more*than passing comment. The position seems to be that, a section of the racing chib has induced our city fathers to offer a lease of the Park Domain to the club. Other institutions seem to lie facing the utmost ditticulty in getting any sort of tenure but not. so (lie racing enthusiasts—the details of their tenancy have been settled by the council. Has the council the sole control of this Domain? It may he well lor the parties interested to look into this point before wasting any further time. Jt would bo just 100 had at- this stage alter tilt the tumult and shouting if some one who bad an interest in the Domain ielt peeved at being asked merely to sign on the dotted line. Possibly it will be ascertained that, the citizen can find protection in some other authority established for the purpose of leading straying amt lost city fathers back on _ the narrow path. \Ve were led to believe that tiio property wasi being acquired for the purpose of a recreation ground and Domain. Sjome ol those citizens who voted on the proposal to purchase the Park feel, with justification, that the present proposals to tease to a Racing Club savours of selling the public a pup and a year or so later calling to take the dog home.

Up (o the present everything has been settled nicely and quietly, and worked according to plan, il is true that the club experienced a spot of bother when the committee refused lo agree to the council's proposals, but. the committee not having the support of the majority of the members resigned. The fact cannot be disputed that racing enthusiasts are not unanimous and the time seems ripe for an investigation to be made into the history of racing in this district. The controlling authority would serve the public well if it could ascertain how and when did the Park course come into existence'.' What has been the system of control? When and how did the Gisborne Racing Club come iulo the picture? Why was it necessary for the Gisbornc Pacing Club to dispose, of the Park course? IT the council had not, acquired it, what were, its prospects? If the Minister in charge of the domains agrees to a public domain which was formerly a racecourse being leased to a racing club which thought fit to sell it, then the issue affects' all public parks, domains, and reserves throughout the country and becomes a national one. Any citizen who values bis rights al all will have to get busy, for democatic control will then have ceased to exist. Future development will bo watched with interest. 1 am told that the Borough Council cannot give a. lease unless the Minister agrees to it. The public would know where it stood if the. council would approach the Minister at once and the ratepayers given an opportunity of expressing their views; otherwise the matter might be dealt with by a few racing enthusiasts without any consideration to the rights of the rest of the ratepayers. In view of the showing put up by the council in its capacity as a Domain Board the question arises as to whether the administration of the Park is in the proper hands, and it would .seem desirable to set up a separate Domains Board, to take the control of this reserve out of the sphere of local body politics. \ believe this was done with the Waihirere Reserve anil this reserve is a credit to the district.—Yours, etc., RATEPAYER...