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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 59, 18 June 1910, Page 6

UNKNOWN

PICNIC PLANTATION PROPOSED. Messrs. A. W. Wood, F. S. Jackson, Geo. White and. 0. V. Foote, representing a committee of Fitzroy residents, waited on the Harbor Board yesterday, and asked that a lease be given them of a portion of one of the Board's reserves at Fitzroy, adjoining the beach. They required a strip from Sackville street to street, and they proposed to plant it with trees and to erect a bathing shed there; m short, to make it a picnicking resort, and to enable full use to be made of the beach at that pomt. Mr. McfCluggage asked what would be the position if, after the committee had effected their improvements, the Board should require land for its own purposes, say, in connection with the ironsand industry. Mr. Wood said that there should be no difficult y about that. They only wanted the reserve so long as it was of no use to the Board, but they would like to retain it until it was absolutely required, and, of course, would not ask for compensation.

In reply to further questions, Mr. Foote stated that this application had been originally made by the Fitzroy Town Board, on' behalf of this committee of residents. The lease, if issued, would be issued to the Town Board, who would appoint a sub-committee to administer the land.

Mr. McCluggage said the usual experience was that when a lease of this kind was issued, and the committee effected its improvements, there was a public outcry if the Board desired to re-enter. Mr. White said that the committee just reemired a lease, so as to give them the right to protect their trees, to impound cattle, and to , keep undesirables off the reserve. The work was being done in the interests of the public.

The deputation having retired, a com-j mittee of the Board was set up to in- [ spe«t the, property and report to the next general meeting. In the discussion ' which followed there was evident a desire to meet the request of the deputation by granting a temporary lease, and declining to issue anv other temporary > lease whilst they are in occupation.