Public Opinion

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5303, 16 January 1947, Page 3

Public Opinion

ERNEST E.

LEANING.

A. G.

COTTRELL.

garden into oreen

(To thh Editoi'.) Sir,: — Concerning the doixipiaiiit of your correspondent, Alice A. Gray, of the conversio'n of a portion of the Government Gardens into a green, I think it is a selfish action of the Rotorua Bowling Olub to accept such a green. The late Dr. J. D. C. Duncan for 25 years fought hard to get the grounds for peace and rest. Surely bowlers can walk a few yards to a lake edge bowling green and leave the lilies in all their glory. If the Garden Committee filled up the Malfroy geyser basin with surplus hot water, "that would be doing things." What a pity Miss Gray is not on the Garden Committee. She is an authority on New Zealand flora. As she is retiring in Rotorua, her services would be a boon in cleaning up and beautifying this gem of a tourist rpsnvl: T mn _

(To the Editor.)

Sir, — Your correspondent Alica Gray touches on a suhject which exercises the niinds of many old residents and visitors. The trees and lily ponds now threatened were for years a delight to old and young but of late years, like many other areas of the Government Grounds they have been neglected, so that the ponds have become offensive to the nose, if not to the eya. Work being done on the lower pond is most untimely and no sane person could conceive the idea of disturbing- and carting so much offensive material through the most crowded part of the grounds at this busy ti ma of the year

The Bowling Club has been blamed for the present upheaval, but after many years' experience on the Bowling Club's executive, I doubt if the club had any opportunity of discussing the location of the new green with the department concerned. Thc condition of the bowlinggreens leaves much to he desired (despite the departmental explanation in a recent issue) and the confments of experienced visitors ara very pungent. I hope this letter, together with that of Alice Gray, may stop the destruction of the ponds, trees and native shrubs and also prevent the Sanatorium grounds frcrn becoming an exhibition of horticultural nouerhts and crosses. — I am. etc..