NEW TENNIS COURTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 259, 27 July 1920, Page 6

NEW TENNIS COURTS

AN OBJECTION ON PRINCIPLE. Tko only opponent to the proposal to form a tennis court on a piece of wast» city land at tho top of Wesloy lioad, rnudo at the last meeting of the council, was Mr. T. Forsyth. 110 did so on tho Btoro of principle. A few weeks before he had asked the council whether it would allow portions of tho Town Belt to bo fonced off for use as school play, grounds if tho schools were erected along, sido the Town Belt, and tho council had set its face against tho request. Olio councillor said they had not refused tho right of tli© children to uso the belt as a play area. Councillor Forsyth said that was so, but tho privilege to fence off tho play area had been denied. Yet h«ro was tne council doing for some influential people at Tliorndon exactly what it refused to do for tho school children —fencing off a portion of a city resnrve. In time the club would becomo almost ns much a private club as aj)v other, nnd ho objected to ihe inconsistency of fho council's attitudo. Councillor P. I'raser said he would bo the last to do- . privo tho school children of their rights, but it seemed to him that Councillor Forsyth was not quito 6oiml of the facts. For instance, it was provided that a sum of .£3OO was to bo siient on tho grounds within twelvo months from the t.imo the lease was granted, and tho club was to l>e given a leaso for seven years (rent free), at the end of which time the courts, pavilion, etc., were to becomo the ateMo properly of tho council, to be used for such purposes its it thought diwirable. Furthermore, tho Director of Reserves thought that the land of the neighbourhood would be greatly benefited by allowing a tennis 1 court to be laid out on the section. On tho motion approving tho offer of the council to the residents interested, Councillor Forsyth was tho only dissentient.