HOSTEL SITE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16035, 28 January 1920, Page 9

HOSTEL SITE.

DEPUTATIONS TO THE COUNCIL,

Rival deputations in reference to the proposed hostel site on St. John’s Hill were present at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. A combined deputation, representing the St. John’s Hill residents, St. John's Hill branch of the Beautifying Society and the Wanganui Beautifying Society, whose spokesmen were Messrs J. Williams and Babbago, spoke against the proposal. A deputation from the Technical College Board of Governors was present, but did not express its views.

Mr J. W'illiams said that he was not speaking in a. parochial point of view, but he objected *'to the nibbling away of the people’s breathing spaces. They had had similar trouble with previous Councils. No doubt the Reserves Committee was animated with a wish lo make its department as profitable as possible. The Mayor: Oh no, that’s wrong. Proceeding, Mr Williams said that the Council might have a legal right to do so, but he considered that it had no morale right to cut into or in any way lessen the areas of playing fields and breathing spaces of the town.

Mr Babbage pointed out that St. John’s Hill was going to be within a

few years a large suburb, and it was necessary that all available areas cf reserves should be preserved. There was a beautiful panoramic, view to be obtained from the site which should not be built upon. The Mayor, in reply, said that nothing definite had been done except that an offer had been made to the Education Board of a site. The first offer was of a site on the opposite site of tho playing grounds, but as that was not considered, advisable, it was decided to offer a site on the seaward side. The proposed site would not he of use for playing fields and would not destroy the view point, as there would he reserved a strip of park land at the brow of the hill. Personally, he considered teat the value of the open space would be enhanced by the erection of suitable buildings, and quoted instances in other parts of the world. The proposed site was a magnificent one for a public building and would enhance the beauty of the reserve. He proceeded to explain that it would be of advantage to the town if a hostel housing 80 to 100 pupils were built here. He pointed out that there was a proposal to obtain a site on the College Estate, and he suggested that all parties interested should use their influence upon the Board of Governors to obtain the site, which would solve the problem. Mr N. Meuli spoke enthusiastically of a fire kiosk which was erected on a prominitory at Golden Gate, at San Francisco, and the view was a splendid one. The prominitory was much like the one on which the hostel was proposed to bo built, and he’ suggested that it would be a. splendid site to place a kiosk on the brow of the hill and connected with a branch tram line from the main St. John’s Hill.

The Mayor agreed that it would he a good scheme.