ISLAND BAY WANTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 198, 10 May 1918, Page 7

ISLAND BAY WANTS

k PROPOSED MEMORIAL

BAND ROTUNDA OF RED ROCKS

MARBLE

C. Odlin, N. P. Willoughby, C. Bnyliss, 11. J. Collie, and others, representing tho Island Hay Bate-payers'-Association, waited on tho Reserves Committee of tho City Council yesterday afternoon with respect to mutters o£ de. liorutivo .importance in tho bay. Air. Willoughby (chairman nf the association) said that, on behalf of tho residents of tho district, they .wished to know what, tho council was 'prepared to do in regard to tho formation of the Parade and tho creation of the proposed Itest Park. Mr. C. Odlin said that; thoy knew of | the small piece of land already acquired j ior tho park, but wished to know other : particulars.' They felt that, if a schemo was being prepared in connection with the area to bo used as a llest Park, they would like to see it and perhaps criticise it, or. ou the other hand they wero prepared to submit a scheme which tho coinruittoe wight criticise. They wished, in a point, to interest themselves in tho lay-out of tho ground. Ona-of the reasons for their interest was a decision arrived at recently when tho association decided that steps should be taken to raise b. fitting memorial to the boys from tho bay who had fallen in the war\ One suggestion was that the memorial should take the form w a. band rotunda to be built in,''marble obtainable from the Kcd itocks (hear Island Bay). They would find Hie, inoney for such a memorial—it would, tost from .£I2OO to .41500-and would be one that would endure for hundreds of years. It would- have panels ot marble on which tho names of the men who had fallen would bo carved. They hoped that the park scheme would be a fairly comprehensive one, and would like to keep in touch with tho committee nbout-it. As to the Esplanade, Air. Odlin. said it was being encroached upon, and was so narrow in one plaice that two cars could hardly pass. Air. E. J. Collio said'that 1 their wish was to co-operato with tho council in making Island Bay popular and beautiful. The School Committee had already secured an area of land which was to bo known as Victory Park,-where it was intended to. erect a monument to tho old boys of tho school who had served their King and country. They wished to see the Esplanade put in order, and tho Rest Park provided whero'' they would erect 'a band rotunda.' They knew that the prosecution of the schemo would make Island Bay popular as a resort and a residential suburb. To bring that to fruition woidd mean the duplication ot the tram lines, hut the result would bo an increase in revenue. Ho thought that tho work might perhaps bo. done out of the rates, piecemeal if not in its entirety. They did not expect the whole work to be put in hand at once, but at the same time they did not want to wait until tho war was over. Thoy only asked that tho work bo done in sections, as tho culvert was built. Mr. G. Frost (chairman of the committee) gave the deputation information about tho park, and said that tho matters appertaining to it would probably bo vested in the Reaches Committee. In regard to tho hand rotunda, lie was glad to hear that they (the. Island Bay people) were prepared to help themselves anil show somo self-reliance. -The Esplanade was an engineering work and would not come under the jurisdiction of the committee, and they knew as well as the speaker that expenditure in that direction was l>eing restricted to essential works. On.tho question of proposed schemes, he was suro that the committal would be only too glad to look through them. As to what money would bo available for any such works would not bo known until they framed their estimates. The committee was only too glad to be afforded the opportunity of beautifying any district, but it was being constantly reminded not to exceed its allocation. Ho thanked the deputation and promised that thev would be advised of anything proposed* to be done iq connection with, tne works mentioned.