OUR LETTER BOX

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 155, 5 July 1904, Page 2

OUR LETTER BOX

corresp^^^^^^^H has seen to ro^^^^^^^H nolo connection a'bove. Of course he right to ll l > lion has two sides to, it. is of opinion that he has (qui tened me out is very apporen)o|H ho says in his letter he has djafajiH of me. If by tills ho meansth various phases he mentions havpnotl been thought of, he is mistakm, sal he has not mentioned one thing] that! 1 have not fully thought out, i mid] have my answer ready .for. I a/«, aware that the board tlu> forafQd as u Botanical Harden UoKd, audi nut. for sports purposes; Iput asi tha board itself has departed partially,. from what was supposflfl to be I lh», original intention when tihe grjound was set aside and the board foiin>*d ( ; and has accepted revenue fronii A liortion of the ground art aside, (or spuria purposes, 1 thought Uie tlmo wus opportune /or deciding once for all whether the board Is going to. striotly confine Itself to having tho ground as a recreation ground and botanicul gardens; or if it J|* prepared to abandon the helf-hefßfc I cd policy as regards sport and for having Uhoroughljy up-to-d|M groumls and appointments. 7sM udvisedly, once for alii that If tns policy that has been pursued for I some years is persisted in, those inI tcrested in cricket and football will take steps to have other grounds for the purpose, and if the board still holds on to its inadequate, gi junds for. sports purposes we shall be in tlie position of having tnres half-starved sports grounds Instead of one good one. More money in tlie utjg!r4|g&ite will be spent on tint three grounds than would be th» case if we had one ground, and far less good results would be shown forthe expenditure. It 1b for, this reason that I say let us decide ones. for all if we are to tje united , and. strong, or divided and always weak, and sickly. Tlie sole reason, I suppose, for the board having a sport* ground'waa to -got revenue, and can show that by going further with the policy it has started fat grounds will in no way be deterlqri died from a scenic standpoint, 'and 1 at the same time its rcvenue-produs-ing powers increased, X_ suppose Ul*t New Plymouth as a whole will bi the gainer, as every function ihold l» Uie grounds means money spurt m New Plymouth by compotifGrs and spectators. Your cortvspcmdeiit t»yi I want to spend £2OOO. Not necessarily ; I say up to that if nootjed Whin the plans are discussed, H:W» can get all we want for £SOO, waf and good ; if the latter were the own I should only prppose to deduct £25 from the subsidy for interest, and hand over thq balance to iim board. And tho reason. I advoesAn tho council doing it Is thatbytiuit moans tlie whole of the . ratepayers who get tho benefit will contrlbutt their share of tho cost. The council has power to spend money for.. re» creation purposes, whether within or without the borough. Then why should not the council say it , 'is going to spend the money on U»ll particular piece of ground, and ,ojh point tho council's delegates an) the board as trustees to caJrvout its wishes and intentions. A Bieaoy rate on the present valuation would provide interest and sinking fundi for a sum up to £2OOO ; so, SWB on present valuations the whole sum would bo wiped out in ten years, and if the valuations increase M they' have done lately it would pro. liably be wiped out in a good deal less time. Uy that time the board would be in possession of a really ground free from ell debt, and ■ U up-to-date and revenue - producing ground free of debt, and If tils council of thoso days thought fit W would not hurt tho ratepayjsg to re-vote tho subsidy for improvements. If your has a good idcaWo Urln am fiiito tho board j f l r to listen to for their object the inent of the grounds, but same time their value gauged if ho subscribed hUw! of a nom-<de-plim>e. say that my idea is the the best one. I have simply mil what I have brought as to have something of a rfiupe to start on. ihis, it is there lor adoption, provcnient, or rejection as tho nfl| jorlty may decide.—l am, •etc., - W. A. COLLIS. p.S.—With tho chairman's consent representatives of tho various sports jraanisations will be invited to meat the board on tho ground at half-post two on Thursday, when I will explain matters more fully tima X 'CM :nyour paper.