PROPOSED NEW SHOWGROUNDS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 7 May 1912, Page 4

PROPOSED NEW SHOWGROUNDS

THE WAIWAKAIHO SITE. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S OFFER TURNED DOWN. The proposal to acquire a portion of the county reserve at Waiwakaiho for showgrounds for the New Plymouth Agricultural and Pastoral Association led to a deputation from the latter body waiting on the Taranaki County Council yesterday afternoon. Earlier in the day representatives of both bodies inspected the property. In introducing the deputation, Mr. W. Arnbury, president of the society, asked the Council to fix a price for some 20 acres of the Waiwakaiho flat, which it was desirous of purchasing. This would reserve to the Council half a chain along the river boundary right through the hack of the reserve; two chains on the northeast boundary, including the creek, and sand-deposits, which were of value to the Council; and a portion fronting Devon street and lying where Eva's house stands. This arrangement would give the society an entrance near the crusher site, so aa to provide a respectable approach to the ehowgrounds, and also afford an additional entrance for stock at the western corner, either at the Devon street entrance or an entrance through the section at Smart road. Mr. Arabury asked the Council to come to a decision within a fortnight, with a view to allowing time for the preparation of a special Bill to be put through the House of Representatives during the coining session. OFFER DECLINED. From the outset of the discussion it ( was apparent that there was considerable opposition among the councillors to the idea of parting with the property. In the opinion of the chairman (Mr. J. Brown) the matter would require very careful consideration. Personally, he 'held that the county would find in a few years' time that it had a gold mine in the property, in the shape of rich shingle deposits. The suggested reservation to the Council of the river frontage, to the extent of half a chain, would be of no use to the county. If it parted with the Toserve, where was it to get its shingle? He had no desire to prejudice the Society's offer. The only way he was looking at the matter was from the point of view of its use as a shingle depot. Cr. Billing also considered it would be a great mistake to part with the reserve, while it was also mentioned that the county could sell the shingle rights of the property to-morrow, if it desired, at Is per yard. Cr. Andrews remarked that if it sold the land, the Council would be "'cursed by posterity," to which Cr. Hill rejoined that "posterity would never know anything about it, and the Council would be forgotten by that time." Eventually, a motion was passed, on the motion of Cr. Andrews, seconded by Cr. McAllum, "that the Council regrets that it is unwilling to part with the property." j