ALTER THE BASIN?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1678, 19 February 1913, Page 7

ALTER THE BASIN?

:>>, : : .': THE DETAILS'.OF'Jffi./iiOETON'S '"< ;H-- '"-,&^ : :f j;::- ; ■; •-,;;-•■■ • i , •■ •-' ■ ■ :;:,'.. The ideas ■ given.- to the -. public -iis .-to I ';' i .Wl^at l tho:City : :Engineer, proposes-should -.' ';..-!'. be .done with, the• Basin'ReMrve . have :^'' :^>'■^^?«»■■tomeVha|t,'■haayi•;and■i! tKß : J[^^H•.^lans' '.•'..■•;", .by/MrVifortongiTO a/better .notion.''/Mr.j ; Vi.Vllortoh.is of'; opinion Uhat'his plan will -■'.','. -*s/>) away /with ifo .waste 'lands which cx--;•'jisiS>'ih of. tho 'reserve, and :.. : ; moro .room .for.;:'."first-class ■■■■ 'y marches".' than ''at ~;• present,-,This'.' pur-' ■ iing-for.aniextensionof thoiplayinj area ~■■■'. the Westward, (the.Sussex -'Street y^.jsiue),.:' leaving'only 'sufficient];space'■ be- ' .■'.: s tvf«eh..thd ,wnlk-which oirf .'.'■ "■.■■. cNs','.'tho':oval" for.the' erection..', of .a ;'.;', Hrge,; pavilion; on -stadium ■; lines... This .;'.,'.; rnMns that-the. playing area, will'.'end in •'; '/..'.a'fehco.WPft/to.tta'westwai'd'of the preX • >....-• sent*picket:-fence.,';'■ This "will'still leave-

tpace la corner for extra pavilions and the caretaker'?) cottage Having thrown the ground so far westward, Mr. Morton proposes that tho tram-lino should traverso the leservo in a gradual curve, on the eastward side, running between two rows of tree 3 (the tiaflk to bo used by trams only), and betyieen the track and Dufferln Street an area of two acres mil still bo left as a plnj ground for children Boun'l "tho oval" is to be placed a 20ft. gravel walk." Tho central area would consist of i acres 1 rood of land, and,tho running track Gust inside tho walk) would be p qnarter of a mile round .Since the original plans wero dravvn, Mr, Morton lias thought out a scheme ! by which a little moro space should bo provided for playing, by deviating from , " the; perfect sweep of tho oval on tho . ircstern side, and making tho lino of the jrdund almost strnight. This would givo an additional space at the comers, and ■would provide a good "straight" for races The proposal aroso from tho fact of Mr, Morton being asked to report on tho restoration of tho present grandstand, nori) over 40 years old. The city engineer i Bnv> that it is in a bad state of'lepair, /and'very old-fashiorted in style. Besides, ' ho considered that there was far too much waste land between the playin? area- and the .western, fence, and there ho saw a wav to economise by doing away , frith the 6harp tram turns which at preKnt exist. "L don't "ay that all this can be dono at once. For instance, I would not propose that the track through the Eererve should bo built at once. That might . . wait until it becamo necessary to repair i or renew tho line Tunning round the Basin" * / "By the wav," said Mr. Morton, referring to the Bisin, "that is a terrible mime with no special significance, I {bink it ought to be done nivnv with, end the ground called the Wellington Oval, or nmply 'the Oial' Wellington badly needs some central ground to hold lt< big carnivals, sports gatherings, and bjg cricket matches, hut visitors must enrrv away a vcrv poor impression of / Wellington when the Basin Bcervp is singled out as our best ground nrar the city. It 19 a most valuable block of land, which should lie mode capable of producing a good deal morO|Tovenuo than is nt present the case."