The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1914. OUR PLAY GROUNDS.

Waipa Post, Volume VI, Issue 306, 17 April 1914, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1914. OUR PLAY GROUNDS.

THERE is hardly a person in or about Te Awamutu who is not directly interested in one or other of the sporting clubs and institutions of the district, and there will be hardly a person therefore that will not be interested in the proposal to improve Albert Park for general recreation purposes. This proposal is an important one, affecting, as it does, not only the interests of all our sports and pastimes, but also the general improvement of a valuable town reserve. The proposal, which has been adopted by the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, is that all those clubs and institutions likely to be more or less interested in the proposal are to be invited to appoint delegates to attend a meeting for the purpose of preparing a scheme for the permanent improvement of Albert Park for general recreation purposes. This park, of about twenty acres, is a very valuable town asset as it stands to-day. It is centrally situated, and is eminently suitable as a ground for almost every one of the healthy and pleasing pastimes of the people ; but as it stands at present it is to, all intents and purposes closed to all classes of recreation. As to how long the park will remain unused for the purpose for which it was reserved it is for the sporting’ bodies to determine, and by the meeting about to be called the clubs more directly interested will have it in theii power to formulate a scheme and carry their proposals to a successful issue. In the past Te Awamutu has been singularly fortunate in having amongst its citizens several who have permitted the sporting clubs to have free access to •'their respective properties. But such generous treatment cannot for ever be meted out to the sports bodies — it is not right to expect that private residents shall for ever ■ provide public play-grounds. It is because of this that Albert Park has been set aside as a recreation ground. Permanent improvements in the form of suitable buildings, tree planting, and the general laying out of the grounds, can here be carried out and so, besides giving every facility to the sporting clubs, give to the town a pretty and attractive public reserve. This particular ground, which can be so very easily converted into one of the beauty spots of the Waikato, has for some months gone a begging to the sports clubs. It now remains to be seen, since the Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead, whether these clubs are prepared to enter into a scheme to give to themselves and their town a recreation ground worthy of the district. In adopting this proposal the Chamber of Commerce was mindful of the value of sports bodies as a means of introducing many people to the town who might otherwise never visit the locality. Healthful recreation is necessary to any community, and clean, healthy sport has every right to receive proper encouragement at the hands of every commercial man. The result of the combined meeting of sports bodies will be awaited with interest. As we have said they have it in their power to convert Albert Park j into one of the beauty spots oi i Waikato, and w hope dm, will! not be slow to grasp the ; ppor-1

tunities offering them. If they do so they will prove conclusively that sporting bodies serve a very useful purpose, and are more than ever deserving of public support.