LOOKING AHEAD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 66, 11 December 1919, Page 5

LOOKING AHEAD

RECREATION GROUND FOR WADESTOWN LAND UNDER OFFER i Ono of tho largest deputations which lias waited on a City Council enmmitte attended (lie meeting of the Unserves Committee yesterday afternoon to ni'jjo the acquisition of an area of land (under offer) for tho purpose of a recreation ground at Wadestown. The deputation, which consisted of members of the Wadestown Municipal Electors' Association, was headed by Mr. I'.'dftai 4 Wylio' (vice-prcsideni), who said initially that there was no need to press the necessity for recreation grounds in this city. Wadesiown was badly in need of some playing area, and owing to !he configuration of the country there were very few sites available. Air. M'Keny.ie, Director of Ttcserves, bad gone, over the district, nnd had selected a snot adjacent to Wilton ]?ond. which, he thought, was tho best available site, though a little distant from the present cenlro of population. On tho other hand, it was only three minutes' wall; nwnv from the main school, was on the main road between TCarori and AVadestown, and was adjacent to Wilton's Hush. A recreation ground was an absolute need. There was nowhere for the boys to congregate of an evening after school, and (hey had developed a habit of gathering at the tramway termimis, and*making themselves a nnisance there. Jf a ground were provided the community would benefit in more ways than one. Mr. G. L. Stewart pointed out that Wackslown was a rapidly growing district! where there was no provision for playing spaces for the boys. Only recently an 'offer of a cricket set was made to the schoolboys ,if they could find a nlace to nlnv upon, but they could not. so the offer had not been accepted. There was no place in Wadestown where thev could nlav a, game of football or cricket. 110 liked tho proposed site "because the connoit had a scheme of erecting a whole lot of workers' dwellings, _ and when tliey were erected and occupied tho site would be n. central one. The chairman (Mr. G._ Frost) said the deputation would be onite safe in leaving the matter in the hands of tljo sonimittee. They could rest assured the committee would do its best to persuade the council to acquire this land, lie was of oninion that recreation grounds wore as necessary ,to a community as good ftTPets. He had cone ovSr the ground with the owner. There was a little over six acres in the block, mid with a little work he thought it could be made into a verv fine ground. In regard to tlie cost, the owner, he kijew. was prepared to meet the city absolutely generously.