RECREATION GROUND.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1917, Page 7

RECREATION GROUND.

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT. The neglected state of the recreation ground in Pukckura Park was the subject of discussion at the meeting of the Park Board on Tuesday evening. It was mentioned that the technical College was given the use of the ground on condition that the College authorities kept the area in order. The chairman (Mr. S. Percy-Smith), in introducing the matter, said he had come to the conclusion that the arrangement with the Technical College would not work. The College authorities had done practically nothing, and the ground was deteriorating every day. The grass on the bank wanted cutting, as well as the grass on the sports ground He was ■ afraid it. had been allowed to go so far. that. merely cutting it would do no good, and it would need ploughing and planting again. Continuing, the speaker said he was quite sure, from reading English and colonial newspapers, that before the end of the year there was going to be a great dearth of food. Last year New Zealand bought wheat from Canada, .but this year none could be got, owing to short crops there and in other parts of America. In view of this he proposed that the ground be ploughed up and put in potatoes, or something else that eould be eaten, and later sown 'in grass. There would be a certain amount of profit in this, which would cover the cost of grassing. At the present time cricketers and footballers who would ordinarily use the ground were away at the front. Mr. E. H. Tribe said he was in sympathy with what the chairman had said. He was in favor of ploughing the land. Apart from the value of the food, it was the best way of cleaning the ground. Mr. C. E. Bellringer reminded the speakers that potatoes were a very uncertain crop, and the chairman pointed out the merits of Indian corn as an alternative crop which could safely be grown. Mr. H. Ford said the handing over of the ground was agreed on just before the holidays. Since school resumed, the director, Mr. A. Gray, had been reorganizing, and had been out of town a great deal of the time. Mr. Bellringer said the school had cut the grass before, the holidays, but since then nothing had been done. Mr. R. C. Hughes suggested that the director of the College should bo notified, that the Board was not satisfied with the condition of the ground, and that he be invited to discuss the matter at the next meeting of the Board. The speaker also mentioned that this part of the ground was the first to bt seen by visitors, and the unkempt appearance of the terraces produced an unfavorable impression. The Board finally decided to consult with Mr. Gray as suggested.