PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1864, 25 September 1913, Page 8

PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS.

WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING, Whilo on tour in Great Britain and on tho Continent Dr. R. A. Cameron, who was formerly a member of the Wellington City Council, paid some attention to municipal matters.

Speaking of recreation, he says that ho was rather surprised to find tlio extent to which Glasgow and Edinburgh had catercd for the whole of tho publio. Iu conservative Edinburgh there wero 19 public bowling greens, liino public golf • courses, 12 pitblic tennis courts, and 12 children's playgrounds, and more public grounds wero being made. Children's playing grounds wero being provided in most of the Home cities, and, ho noticed them in Berlin and Vienna, too.

Dr. Cameron visited Ostend, knowing it to be one of the leading Continental seasido resorts. He was "simply astounded'-' at the amount of money which must have been spent to make tho placo popular. Ho was impressed bv tho magnificent promenades, and tho thing about them which struck him particularly was that tho public could use them in any weather and be in' complete shelter all tho time. This was because -the promenades were glassed in. Thoy were handsome Btr.ictures with beautiful big columns, and thoy ran for ab.out a mile and a half along tho sea front. Dr. Cameron considers that these things should he studied if Lyall Bay, Island Bay, and other Wellington resorts are to be duly improved. Dr. Cameron was away -seven and a half months, and he spent most of tho time "on tho move." His chief "rest" was while he was attending one of the principal hospitals in Great Britain. Ho was accompanied by Mrs. Cameron, who, however, remained in Edinburgh whilo he was travelling in Euroiie. Dr. Cameron visited Egypt; also. There is ono place he is particularly enthusiastic about, and that place is Berlin, which he regards as the . finest modern city."