HABBOUR BOARD CHAIRMAN'S VIEWS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1623, 12 October 1916, Page 2

HABBOUR BOARD CHAIRMAN'S VIEWS.

(To the Editor.) Sir. —1 have read with much interest your remarks on the leasing of the Target Reserve. I have no doubt, also, but that the Mayor and Councillors supporting him are actuated by the best intentions from their point of view, but there are also other points which must not lie overlooked. Firstly, Ido not think that any council in its dying hours should undertake to deprive posterity of its right to an airbreathing space for the term of 42 years! i know there is not much call on the reserve at present, but who knows what the next ten years may bring forth? We have been moribund in the past, but with the advent of the port falling into its just rights, must surely make some dilterence in the advancement of Foxlon. .Secondly, if you look at it from the business side, you will lind it is bad busi-

ness ro give a long lease

at £SO per annum, or 10s pen- acre per year, when the land on the opposite side of the road was sold for somewhere about £3O per acre, and not ;is good land as the reserve. Taken on this basis, the reserve is worth at least 30s pm - .acre per annum. I say if the Racing; Club wants a small portion of the reserve (not exceeding two acres), if it can be sold, by all means let them have it, but the people's pleasure ground must not be let for more than a. term of seven years at any one time. Hoping to hear more through the columns of your paper on this matter, —I am, etc., B. J. HENNESSY. /

(To the Editor.) Sir. —When I read the Mayor's remarks in your last issue re the liaising of the Target Reserve, and how your remarks had “hurl him," 1 wondered where it hurt him most. Anyhow, sir, with all respect to His Worship, he can't get away from the fact that a "layman'* picked out the Council's error in an attempt to pass away for a couple of generations a valuable public reserve and sent him post haste after a solicitor to gel a lengthy opinion—

;U l lie ratepayers* expense —as to tlu l powers of Ihe Council to lease l lie reserve. Why didn't he think of this before commuting 1 the mistake? Seeing that the .Mayor was for so many years Town Clerk, it seems strange that he was ignorant of flie Aei which vested this valuable property in the borough for a park. Can l he Mayor tell your readers, sir, "hat has become of the revenue from (his reserve since ISIS? Coes he think that 10s per acre per annum a fair rental for this reserve flow does he arrive at this value;’ 1 don't think anyone would object to selling the Kaeiug Club a small strip of the reserve or exchanging with them for a piece near Victoria I’ark, but to pass the reserve over for a long period would be a scandalous breach of trust. In conclusion, sir, 1 think the public is indebted to you for the publicity you have giveu the subject, and I hope a good deal more "ill be said upon it. It. is lime the people, as well as the Council, began to wake up.—l am, ele.. CCXTO.V. .