PROPOSED NEW SHOW GROUNDS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143784, 7 May 1912, Page 2

PROPOSED NEW SHOW GROUNDS.

AT WAIWAKAXHO. NOT ENTERTAINED. A deputation consisting of Messrs. W. Ambury (president) G. W. Browne, A. W. Wood, J. S. Oonnett, L. A. ; Nolan and A. Cliff (secretary), repre- | seating the Taranaki Agricultural So- | ciety, waited on the Taranaki Country Council on Monday afternoon with regard to proposals to acquire a portion of the county reserve at Waiwataiho for agricultural show purposes. It will be remembered that a committee of the Agricultural Society inspected the reserve on Thursday of lajA week, and l being agreed as to its suitability for a show ground, appointed tho deputation to approach the council to see if any arrangement could be arrived at whereby it could bo acquired by the society. The County Council inspected tho property prior to tho deputation waiting on the council, so that they should be thoroughly .conversant with the position. . . In introducing tho deputation, Mr. Ambury asked the council to fix a ' price for the twenty acres of the reserve, which was commonly known as the island, reserving half a chain along tlie river boundary at the back of tho property, two chains on the north-east boundary, including tho creek and sand deposit, which were of value to the county, and a portion running from the Devon Line near where the house stood. This would give the Agricultural Society an entrance neajr the crusher site. They were desirous, if the council agreed to their proposal, to have a good wide entrance, so that they could provide a respectable approach to tho show grounds, and which could bo beautified in the future, and they also desired an entrance for stock on the western corner from Smart Road. Mr. Ambury pointed out that the deputation represented a public institution, and were not a. body seeking to acquire for speculative purposes, so that ho hoped if the council should agree to see tho price would be reasonable. The deputation also asked that tho council should came to a decision in the matter as soon as possible, with a view to allowing time for the preparation of a Bill which it would he necessary to put through the House during the coming session. After the deputation had retired the council discussed the matter, but from, the outset it was apparent that tho council considered the reserve too valuable an asset to agree to the proposals.

The Chairman said that it was a matter that required very carefully looking into. His personal opinion was that in future years the reserve would bo as good as a gold mine to tho council on account of the stone. He considered that in the future that all their supplies of metal for this immediate part of the county would have to bo drawn from there. The suggestion that the council should reserve half a chain along tho river was of no use to the county. Councillor Billing considered tho council would be making a great mistake to sacrifice the reserve for show ground purposes. Councillor M'Allum said the value of the reserve to the council as a metal site was such that even if they did put a price on tho property it would .be prohibitive so far as the Agricultural Society was concerned The Chairman said the council would have no difficulty whatever in selling immediately the shingle rights of tho property at la per yard. Councillor Andrews was opposed to the proposal, and said that pf the council told the reserve it would bo cursed by posterity. . Councillor Hill: Posterity would nover know anj'thing about it. rho council will bo forgotten by that time. It was decided, on tho motion or Councillors Andrews and M Allum. that the council regrets that it could not entertain the proposal. . At a meeting of tho Agricultural Society Committee, the chairman reported the result of the deputation s interview with the council.