WANTED-A PLAYGROUND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 2

WANTED-A PLAYGROUND.

« KTLBIRN.TE REQUEST. Kilbirnie ratepayers renewed their request for a recreation ground oy medium of a deputation to the City Council. The question is by no means a- new one. for the people of Kilbirnie have held the opinion for n long timo that the council have broken faith with them by failing to expend money voted for the purpose of reclaiming liiud for a recreation ground from Evans Bay. especially an amount of .£2OOO set down in last year's estimates. There were upwards of thirty members of the deputation, among them representatives of several sports bodies. Dr. Newman, Jf.P., introduced the deputation, and outlined the request, which tho speakers would make. The position was that there weie five or six thousand people on the other side of the lull, and the only recreation ground they had v.-as a little patch of four acres of land. The district was growing very . rapidly, and presently' the hardship would be much more keenly felt. He hoped that the deputation's request would be favourably considered. The Acting-Mayor referred the deputation to the following clause in'the report of the Reserves Committee:— "That, recognising the urgent necessity for more playing grounds in the city, and as the council is pledged to commence the Kilbirnie Reserve this year, the City Engineer be instructed to make an early start with the work, with a view of getting as much as possible done during the coming winter, and also that the Finance Committee be requested to provide the sum of Ji2ooo in this year's estimates for the work." Dr. Newman: The council put it on last year, and then very kindly knocked it ofl' •again. The people of Kilbirnie arc afraid that history nmy repeat itself. Air. .1. J. Clark, chairman of the Ratepayers' Association, related jthe history of the little reserve, which is Kilbirnio's only -playground. He argued that that ground was not in so good condition now as it was when it was taken over by tho city. Six years ago .£2OOO was borrowed to be spent on reclaiming land for a recreation ground , fvoni, Evans Bay, but this money had- not been spent. Tlie area' to be reclaimed was n confession from the Harbour Board, and that concession expired in 1013. , ne"v;as'"not'sure "that tho reclamation could bo finished, but, nt any rate, the matter was. one'of urgency. Jlr. P. Galvin, another member of the depuration,- argued that Kilbirnie had ■been badly treated when tho city was allocating recreation grounds, and ho quoted figures to show that this scheme was well worthwhile. Ho hoped that if there was a difficulty about the time limit tho council would take steps to get legislative sanction for an extension of time. The_ Acting-Mayor said he believed the council was serious on this occasion in its desire that this money should be spent. Kilbirnie had been under 'a disability for some years, and this the council recognised. Jlr. R. Fletcher, who is chairman of the Harbour Board, said there .would be no difficulty about getting an extension of time from the board, if such were necessary. The clause above referred to-was carried.