THE RECREATION GROUNDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 98, 14 April 1908, Page 3

THE RECREATION GROUNDS.

COUNCIL ASKED 1-OK (.ItEATEIt HELP. Last night the Borough Council received a deputation from the IWreatnm Ground, Board on the <|ue>tj,m of -illicitly. Tli»- iiHMiilivr* of the deputation were Me-rs. F. p. Corkill (chairman of flu- Hoard). 11. Cock. Harris 1-or-l. n. C. Jlughes, S. Percy-Smith. \V. L. Newman, and K. 11. Tribe fsecrctarv). -Mr. Cnrkill referred to the Hoard's difficulties in liiuiH-in-r recently. .\il were awarr of the change efTe'.-t.d 111 t!"' control of the sport- ground, nowone of the features of tin* domain. That ground used to produce about CO" or for the Boards funil- each war. but now that was absolutely This was a serious depletion of the Board'* already small ino.me. Other .source* had <KminUh>-d also. for many of the l annual subscriber?. bad Iran-ferred their j support to the sport•» ground eommit- ; too. They didn t grudge tlx- committee I that money, although they felt its 10- s | for the work done was for riie benefit of the community and. ultimately, for the benefit of the ground*. Now matters had come to such a pa-s that the Board was compelled to a-k the Coiui.il to increase its annual subsidy from £IOO to £l5O. They would like the amount doubled, but they recognised that the Council had many ealU on itThe Board had now engaged as curator Mr. Smith., a man who stood head and shoulders above any other man in his profession in the Dominion. The town wa« exceedingly fortunate in thiengagement. Though tin- Board*- arrangement was an L .\o edingly favorable one. etill it entailed -lightly additional expense. List year the Board started with a credit of CM 1.1- 7«l. and finished with an «»verdr.>it of tx"> IS- lid. .-bowing a 10-> of over CBwi on the year*' t oj« ri!i"n-. The Hoard's expenditure ; la«t ye.ir Wa- but of thi- Lltj!> j wa- non-recurring, being the cost of th. % I <'\ten-ion «.f the upper pond.

Mr. Co-k al-o -poke. Ife -aid he uarather -nrpri-'d at the chairman'-nio<l«-ty in making hi- request. Th<* Berreation fJronnd wa« one of the b>w that the U>r"ngli po--i and a very big a»et He eon-id' Ted <he rime had arrived for a ee>-a I ion of the Izard's sy-trm of going rouml and begging for annual «ul»s< ription-. which were always obtained from the same few. It was time, he said, for the ratepavers t«» jvoogni-e their re-pon-ibility ,bv tin- pnyni'-nt of spreial rat'- for tlie

! .\ ;• • 1111■. i.fr«-• v-11I,t t:2-7. ami . v M, : d i.iir: •< "i . 'I h- n--vv «-ui.ii..r , ,-ui.id. i-d Urn 1;i 1! 1d- <\• ■ r*■ too :in i! | ] there u.u U' 't elloujh ,f. tb.w • "111.! !

t!i«\v tin- »-'»l*.r i t }:.. 111 tV- tn.-n.-y If t!w* IVurd had a sit CV'O •- year for t-n year-. t<> in.ik.- Ilower l>ediu .nil tho-e -llflK'i»■>! vall'-i-. tlwy would have "thi*" |«Lkj»- of tin- Southern lleintllo trusted til.' <'.tnn.il would give at least tilKl tlii- .war.

Mr. S. l'erey-Sinith mentioned thai in nearly .■very other t"« n in tin- IJtmiitiion tin- r«-reatiun ground- w.-r.- kept up liy lh.- municipality, Here tin- unfortunate im-niiu'i - of tli" lioanl hau to l'eg mud-. i in.' little horoiigh wa- going to borrow CiiKMi fur it- domain. In Ashiiiirton the borough '-out riliuted t'-'UMI ami the .■l»iintv Cliki. .in.l In- thought New I'lymi.ntli -lii'iiM at lni-t eoiisidi-r itself

mi a par with A-hlmrton. The Mayor ;ir.ri-.-.l tliat tin- llei-real i"ii i■ l.>iiii.l- were a great as-et, ait'l more \alii.iMe from the U'-t that tlu-v were l!n- lx—t '.if tli' ir kind in 111-- Dominion. Init -aid tli.- ni.i't'-r would hive to 1,,-mri- !In- K-liinat.-- i oiiiiiiilli-.-. 11m- deputation tliank'-il ill'- nil .m l withdrew.

lie- ri-'pl'-t wa- I'el el red ton!,!- Ksli mate- I 'lti'intUi-.' for favorable eon i. 1.-r.i 1 i"ii-