VISIT OF THE SCENERY PRESERVATION COMMISSION.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13049, 8 March 1911, Page 6 (Supplement)

VISIT OF THE SCENERY PRESERVATION COMMISSION.

A DEPUTATION

(From "Tha Colonist," Feb. 28.) Messrs J. ' Stnauchon, Surveyor- • General, .and F. S. Pope, members of the Scenery Preservation, ComnusI sion, who are inlfelson in connect on with the demand for State acquisition of land along the Maitai river tor public purposes, visited the locality jesterday morning, accompanied by the Commissioner of Crown. Lands (Mr K. !T. SatW), tb3 Mayor, and Mr I. t*. :Gibbs. . . / , Afterwards tho Commissioners Bat at tho office of tho Commissioner (if Crown Lands, and received a representative deputation •of citizens, who made further 'representations on the subject. „ . . The secretary of the Commission iread the letter of the City Council to the iHon.. R. McKonzie, urging the acquisition of tho Maitai lands by the , Coviennment^ and also the petition of ■ Nelson residents. I Mr Pettit, Mayor of the city, wel- ' coined the Commissioners to Nelson. The object the deputation wished to j urge had been very fully sot forth :n the .letters read, and the Comimssioni ors had been able to soe for themselves" the position which existed. It was 'important that they should consider i tho needs of the city from a recreative point of view, as Nelson was not blessed with any large reserves. Tlkto were small reserves which would not be suitable for future requirements. I Practically for all time the Mait.u Valley had been freely open to the public. Mr Lightband, who was presI cut, had .attended tho first picnic ever he'd there. If tho Government could i acquire the estate and re-sell it, it j would be recouped its outlay. If by I any moauis the public could get free i camping grounds near the city, the ' people of Nelson would be very grateful.

Mr Martin Lightband, who also attended as a representative of the City Council, said he was the oldest person present. Ho had lived on the banks of the Maitai for 69 years, which, ho thought, was a record. Ho had twitenearly lost his life in the river. He had taken a very active interest m the welfare of the Maitai, and he had been on various committees in connection with it. He hoped the deputation was on the right track, as he had always heard that the Waimea County Council had jurisdiction "over the Maitai, and it had very largo powers.

Mr Philip Host, chairman of the Waimea County Council, said he had not gone very deeply into the matter, as ihe thought it was one which affected the city more than the county, though the latter, Council would do what it could to assist. The Council had its legail rights in regard to the roads and fencing, and they were protected. His Council supported the representations now being made.

Mr T. A. H. Field, President of the Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber had beern responsible for the petition, which had been signed by 2000 p:K>ple, and it had also been responsible in promoting the deputation. Tho Chamber (represented tho business community, who regarded tho closing of the Maitai as a great detriment to thi? city. It appeared that tho,owner of the estate held rights in regard to tho river which the legislation of today did not contemplate should rest with -private individuals. If tho deputation's request wone given effect to the people's rights would be conserved. The public had been allowed tho uninterrupted use of the property for many years, and they were surprised to learn that the rights were private. The College swimming sports, which had always been held in the river, had now to bo held at Brightwater, 15 miles away. It seemed that the present was aci opportune time to put the matter on a satisfactory basis.

Mr O. W. Han by said his interest in the -matter was largely as chairman of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society. During the last fifteen years they had spent about £1000 in stocking the Maitai river with trout, ar.d had incurred other large expenditure. They had given tho Maitai preference over other rivers because it was near tho town, and the revenue, of the Society was larger from the Maitai than from other rivers. Up to the present the Society had enjoyed fishing rights under covenant, tl.'te Society having purchased thorn, but it was now impossible under .recent legislation to covenant for such rights. There was also a bridges covenant. If .the river was not to bf public the Society must cease to stock it. It wouid bo at a loss of £50 or £60 a year, and would have to stock other rivers.

Mr V. (i. Gibbs;, headmaster of the Boys' Central School, said that for 30 years swimming had been a subject in the town Ecihools' curriculum, and it was a very small proportion of tho boys wiho had nut learned to swim. The Jiratirtiction ihad •'befu gjfven almost entirely in the Maitai, ajid SO or 90 boys a year had learned to swim in Donne's Hole, which was in every way a lrost suitab'o place. If tho pu&lic were debarred from bat.iinj; th'prc he ivas afraid they wou-,1 have to cease that instruction. On behalf of tho boy® he would urge very strongly that the privileges they had always had should be continued. Many hundreds of picnickers went to tho Maitai on holidays. Ho urged that a stiip of land along each ba.n.k be acquired and vested in some public body. As secretary of the Bridges Committee he had had a good deal to do with the erection of the bridges, and with grants ifrom ipublio bodkls and subscriptions about £1200 was spent in that work. That expenditure was boneficial to the owners of th? estate, and the lessees were among tho subscribers. The public, had therefore a moral ri'jht to the privileges they enjoyed*. If it wore possiblo'to acqiur; a strip along the banks nil the way it would be better.

The chiairmain said there sha'ii-1 le some understanding about the width of the strip asked for. A :!'aii; had been montio'icd. , , . Mr Gibbs v.'d the matter line! n'l been discussed. About Sharland's Creek th'oy would like morp than a Ch 'nh- R-v J. H, MacKenzio, chairTrn,n of thci'Town Schools Committee, <nid he appeared in the name of more tl.an a thousand children, to whom the Miitii was a great nwort. There was no other V? which could be ~am« <iloii«-id""'it for children. They had 'aWV been able to enjoy themselves; to the fu-1 along the Maitai, and it the o'^portunity were taken away they wonVl suffer a very serious loss. T>r Ardrew, speaking .-« president of tHs Nelson Pwimming Club, said a ir-ivi wit.h one lung was not healtliy, nnd if NeV'»i was deprived of one or its lup-gs NrfsMi would not be a he.TU'hv"plnei", Mr Batchelor, secretary of the Anglers' Ohib, bore out Mr Hanby s re- " The OhpirnMn of tho CoinrmVsion +,in.n.kfd the dei>uta+inn. He remarke-l that he .nutl bis callp.isuar had greatly enjoyed +.Ikw vir-it. The represeutntions mnrl- U the^i w<yu d be enrefuHy coniskVred. a,rd a report would fo-v' rrnt to' tb? GcA'?r'OTe.nt. The Mayor tb.ankfd t!ie Commiftßion for receiving tl:.» deputation, which then withdrew. '