SHOULD RESERVES BE RATED

Taranaki Daily News, 7 July 1931, Page 3

SHOULD RESERVES BE RATED

POSITION OF SPORTS CLUBS. NO CHANGE IN NEW PLYMOUTH. A suggestion that all clubs and societies occupying borough reserve® as playing areas should pay rentals equivalent to the rates on the properties if privately owned was recently considered by the finance committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council. Last night the council adopted the committee's recommendation that under the circumstances it was felt that the present system was in the interest of the ratepayers and that similar inducements might well be offered to other clubs to utilise and develop part of other reserve® and domains at present unused. It was pointed out that the present system, which obta-’ned in other town® as well as New Plymouth, was adopted to induce clubs and societies to take up and improve unused portions of reserves in a manner not possible for the council with the limited funds available for such purposes. The clubs in question had levelled the grounds and laid out lawns and were maintaining the parts of reserves occupied by them for recreation purposes. As the public had the right of accesfc, the lands were to a v. -y large extent being utilised for the purposes for which they were .held. If the suggestion were adopted some at least of these lands would be thrown back on the council’s hands and, owing to lack of funds for maintenance, the improvements effected would deteriorate and eventually be lost.