LANCASTER PARK

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16423, 17 January 1919, Page 7

LANCASTER PARK

raising the mortgage. It would appear that only a liberal response from the public is needed to have Lancaster Park secured for all time for amateur sport. As was stated Bome time ago, the local Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association decided to celebrate the cessation of hostilities by concentrating their efforts on securing a lastiug memorial for Christchurch, and eventually they decided that the best thing thoy could do was to attempt to place Lancaster Park free of debt, and to secure it for the returning athletes. The mortgage at present on the Park is sojub '£8000, and the Association approached the Board of Control of tho Park with an offer to raise that mortgage, conditionally on the freehold of the Park being vested in the Crov.-n to prevent any re-incum-hrance, and to ensure the saving of about £200 per annum in rates ana taxes, it also being specified that the Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association should have representation on the Board if the amount were raised. The proposed conditions have now been accepted by the Board of Control, and their full text is .as follows : BOARD OP CONTROL. Tho title to tho land to be vested in th® Crown, and in trust, for tho purpose defined by the Act of Parliament to constitute a Board of Control, the corporation to be with perpctuauU succossion, and the board to consist of 10 members in ail, as follows:—Three representing and elected by the Canterbury Cricket Association; three representing end elected by tho Canterbury Rugby Football Union; two representing and elocted by the Commercial Travellers' and WarohouseJjsn'e Association; the Mayor of Christchurch ox-officio; and one member representing sports other than cricket and ltugby football,; provision to bo made for duration and rotation of term of office of members of tho board. PURPOSES. Tho ground shall bo jiaed for all timo for the following purposes: —

a. For crickct played under tho control, or with the sanction of tho committee for the time being of the Canterbury Cricket Association. b. For Rugby football, played under the control or with the sanction of the committee for the- time being of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. c. For all such other sports, exhibitions, amusements, and entertainments as the board from time to time shall deem expedient. POWERS OF BOARD. 1. To let the ground and buildings, or any part thereof to such persons, associations, clubs, or companies upon which terms for 3uch period and subject to such conditions as tho board in its discretion shall deem expedient. 2. To issuo tickets entitling the holders to admission to tho grounds or stands for such period, nnd upon such terms, as tho board thinks fit. 3. To charge for admission to ground at such rates as the board deems fit. 4. To enact by-laws for promoting orderly arid becoming conduct of persona and players within the ground, and for preventing gambling or ajiy unseemly or unbecoming conduct. 6. To acquire, hold, sell, a>nd dispose of personal property of every description. 6. To erect buildings, develop, and improve the ground. 7. To buy other* land, and sell the same, or any portion thereof. 8. To make grants or allowances from its funds to clubs, associations, or persons for the purpose of fostering and encouraging any amateur athletic sport, or to players or dependents of players, or competitors who may sustain injury in any nthlotio sport. 9. At discretion,-, to expend revenue or funds of board, for which the board is constituted. 10. To allow free use of the ground and buildings for purposes of charity, education, or other purposes of public importance or utility. 11. To erect a permanent memorial on the ground, or within the buildings, recording the names of Canterbury men who have lost their lives in the war. Note. —The board will have no power to sell or mortgage the land or buildings. APPEALS TO THE PUBLIC.

The Commercial Travellers' and "Warehousemen's Association intends to get to work immediately to raise the money necessary to wipe off the mortgage, and their idea is to make three separate appeah to the public. The first will take place early in February, when the Association will endeavour to raise the sum of £3000 by means of a one-day art union, that is to say, that all the tickets—which will bo 2s 6d tickets, just sufficient in number to make up £3000—will all be offered for sale by an army of holpers in one day, and the art union will be drawn the same night. The first prize will be a bungalow valued at £750, which, in accordance with tho statute* moist be presented to the Association before it can bo raffled, and in this connexion Messrs J. A. Redpath and Sons, F. Wilding, K.C., and F. D. Kesteven, have each given £50. A dozon similar subscriptions or their equivalent are therefore still required by the secretary of the Association, Mr H. B. Gould, who is practically conducting the whole campaign, anticipates no difficulty in securing the required sum. The second prize will be a quarter-acre Bection valued at £125, which has been given by Mr C. R. Clark.

Lancaster Park is at present in potatoes, and the crop is an excellent one. It is hoped to bo able to re-lay tho Park in the coming autumn, and to have it quite ready for football by the beginning of next year's season in March, 1920. Mr F. Wilding, K.C., who in former days was Canterbury's foremost all-round athlete, has submitted a suggestion to the Board of Control that as a fitting memorial, the Park when it is cleared from debt should hare its name changed to "Victory Park" in commemoration of the success of the Allies, that an ornamental arch should be erected over the entrance, and that it should bear the following inscription: ''The freehold of Victory Park free (if debt was vested in the Crown for all time by the Canterbury Cricket Association, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, aided by the Canterbury Commercial Travellers' and 'Warehousemen's Association, and the public of Christchiirch for amateur sport, controlled by a Board, elected under 'The Victory Park Act, 1919,' to commemorate the victory of the Allies in the Great War and the services of the fallen soldiers of Canterbury."