THE PUBLIC RECREATION RESERVE.

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 24, 13 August 1892, Page 2

THE PUBLIC RECREATION RESERVE.

TO THE KDITOII OF THE STAH. Sir,— Negotiations are. 1 believe, taking place between the Feilfhnj» Borough I Council and the Colonists Land and L<;au Corporation for legally vesting this reserve (generally known as the Sports' ground) in some responsible body for the benefit of the public. I am not aware whether nuy conditions were mude when this ground was first promised as a reserve, but practically it has been hitherto (for a term of, I believe, 16 or 17 years) under the sole control and management of a body of gentlemen called " the Sports' Committee " who have expended considerable sums of money in fencing and otherwise improving it, and which body is entitled to great consideration in any scheme which may be proposed for tho future management of it. Some considerable discussion has, I understand, taken place with reference to the persons or body, in whom the ground should be vested, and among other proposals it has been suggested that the Mayor of Feildmg and the Chairman of the Manchester Road Board should be selected for tho purpose —but this would never do— for as these gentlemen are not bodies corporate constant re-trausfers of the land would have to be made and new deeds of trust executed ; besides it would not be right that unlimited power should be placod in the hands of two private individuals who are constantly changing. There are only two courses open, one is to transfer the land to a corporate body, and the other to a body consisting of about a dozen trustees, tho body selected entering into a deed of declaration of trust (to be registered at the Deeds Registration Office) that the ground is held in trust for public, and such deed would contain theprovisionsand couditmns which might be thought best for the interests of the public and might also reserve to " the Sports' Committee " the rights and privileges which they have hitherto enjoyed. In my opinion the proper and best courso to be taken is to transfer the land to the Corporation of the Feilding Borough subject to the execution of such a deed of trust us I have above mentioned. The objections to private trustees would be : first, deeds of appointment of new trustees would have to be made as those originally apI pointed die or retire ; second, the land would have to be transferred from time to time to such new trustees; third, the trustees would become a self- elected body which would be highly undesirable, whereas the Borough Council would in effect be under the control of the burgesses. I am, etc., Saml. Goodbehehe.