St. MICHAEL'S SQUARE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 85, 14 April 1904, Page 2

St. MICHAEL'S SQUARE.

The manner of disposing of the sections in St. Michael's Square recently acquired by exchange from the borough is causing trouble among the School Commissioners. Most of our readers are aware that by an Act passed during 1 last session of Parliament the New Plymouth Borough Council and the Taranaki Hoard of School Uommissioners were empowered to elfect an exchange of reserves, the borough relinquishing its rights over St. Michael s Square, more commonly known us Poverty Flat, for those education reserves now known as Western Park. It is a great many years now since the school authorities first conceived a desire to obrtarn tiie Square for educational purposes, having in their minds the necessity for an enlarged playground for the Central School 4 and sues for a technical school, museum, and leading-room. Particular, stress was laid on the playground and technical scihool site. Perhaps it is not so well known that the School Commissioners had determined to subdivide and lease their West End reserves for building purposes, and that tiie present Commissioner of Crown Lands was appointed to aswess the values of the various sections. He was struck very forcibly with the cheerful aspect of the place, and expressed admiration of the magnificent view there of the surrounding country for miles and miles around. He immediately fell in with a suggestion that the sections should be preserved intact for a breathing space for the western end of New Plymouth, and brought forward as an additional inducement for favourable consideration of his scheme the argument that good cricket and football grounds might be made there and obviate the necessity for what he termed a sacrilege in cutting away portion of the hill and filling in the beautiful lakes in the Recreation Grounds in order to make a good sports ground there. The matter was discussed very fully by the School Commissioners, and it was found that the monetary value oi the reserves was about the same as that of Poverty Flat. Unanimous consent was given to the proposed exchange, and the necessary legislation was passed to give effect to the wishes of the controlling authorities of the lands in question. There was no dilVei'ence of opinion until Mr Allsworth moved to have the whole of St. Michael's Square vested in the Education Board as a school site, and thun an objection was raised by Mr Mackenzie that, tills was not contemplated by the Commissioners when the exchange was effected'. Mr Allsworth's motion was carried, but Mr Mackenzie then gave notice .to rescind it. At last meeting of the Board he was given permission to hold over his motion until he could receive a reply to correspondence addressed by him to the Department on the question at issue. It seems to us that Mr Mackenzie's purpose is being somewhat misrepresented. It is alleged that he intends to defraud the school of its enlarged playground and the town of a site for the technical school. What he proposes is that the quarter-acre on the corner of Lemon and Liardet Streets shall be reserved as* a site for tiie school buildings and other institutions reifuiivd, about 2£ acres be

;; "anted to thu Central .School lor illl I'A ten si on ol itfj playground, the remaining acre or so to bo held by the Commissioners lor thu limubo ing. JJo also provides in his 1110lioji that this ground retained shall not, bu dealt with except by special resolution of the Hourd, due notice of which wouhl haw to be given. Mr Mackvnzio, in uur opinion, is quite right ill his action, if wu consider hint in the light, of a trustee of educational reserves ami as Comimissioiier of Crown Lands. Messrs Cock ami Allsworth are also justilied in the position they have taken »l>, acting as citizens in the inter-f ists of Xcw Plymouth am! of education.