A RECREATION GROUND.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1954, 9 April 1875, Page 2

A RECREATION GROUND.

In his address to the .electors of tha Thames Sir George Grey expressed surprise that the Thames was without a recreation ground. It was very natural that Sir George shoul<l have been surprised, as it might strike anyone, with wonder that a matter so important to the citizens should hare been for so long neglected. A public recreation ground, to which the. people could resort occasionally after business hours, to rcliere the monotony of everyday life, is very much needed; especially in a district such as the Thames where the means of healthy and , fresh enjojment are limited. Perhaps there is no other place with a population as large which is so bare in this particular* and the necessity for making some effort to be on a par with other large towns should be perfectly apparent; .the mdrd so as the majority of the Thajkies inhabitants may -be— regarded as- permanent settlers, many of them having large families, which form the spring of a new generation. It is of course a question of ways and means, and a knotty question that in general proves itself to oe. ' The present Superintendent expressed his desire that the Thames should be possessed of a retreat such as this we write of; but be also acknowledged the necessity of prosecuting works ■of greater importance, such as the construction of roads through the country, and thereby offering increased facilities for prospecting the country and developing its resources. Hence it is much to be feared that, however

good the intentions «f Sir George Grey may be, the exchequer of the Province will scarce); meet the demands made upon it in other directions, 10 that little help can be expected from the Provincial. Government. There is no reason, however* that the idea should be abandoned —if indeed it has been oaraestly enter* tamed —by those interested in its development. A park or recreation ground, supported by the people, would not be fjund to be a burden, out rather a source of great benefit and profit. The Municipal Council is the proper authority to take the initiative in the matter; and, if our ! memory serves us, the Mayor some time ago brought the subject promine»|U > befor the Council, in discussing the qtt^tion of Borough endowments. It was justly argued that other sources of rerenue beside that of the foreshore should be entrusted to the Council for educational - purposes and the formation and maintenance of a recreation ""ground." JXo mention of the subject, however has since been made. At present the condition of the Borough is one of extreme porerty. With a large .overdraft upon which to pay interest, and no other source of income but the rates, the position of the Council is certainly anomalous; but, if the promises of Sir George Grey are to be relied upon, this state of things will not long continue. > It is in view of this that we point to the present theme as being worthy of consideration.. Some two years ago Mr Spencer, of Parawai, kindly made an offer to the Provincial Government of thirty acres of ground, at a reasonable price, to be devoted to this, purpose. That offer was not taken advantage of, but the same piece of ground was leased to a private individual and now constitutes the famous resort known as Parawai Garden. Prior to that period a Town Band was formed, supported by a section of the public and the officers of volunteer com-, panics, and for a short time this band performed regularly once a week in the grpunds of Mr Mackay, since.purchased by Mr Workman, and through which a public highway has been cat; but the support .-accorded .to the band was miserably inadequate, and haying disbanded, the greater, portion of its mem- - bers now form the Scottish band. Thus the only attempt to ameliorate our eoadi-

tion in this respect miserably failed. It it never too late to amend our ways, however, aid-the utterances of Sir George Grey give hope that his co-opperation and assistance will not be wanting.

.. JkSoLi>.~Ttie scene -is the platform of the Melbourne Railway Station, at which - the mid-day train for Sandhurst is- drawn up, almost ready.for departure. .,-, In a firsticlas" compartment there are seated a lady and gentleman, the former of whom - carries an infant about niae months old, closely swathed in the usual surroundings of. children of,those tender months^ The latter is a, well-known mining capitalist, ■who resides al; South Yarra. Several gentlemen have already taken seats in the . carriage, and to the. jj|frp]e?ii ty ; of the guard, vfiave f suddenly \ .quittedi jit,;- ana found places in another compartment. Determined to fill it, one of the attendants ushered in three fashionably dressed lauies,anda gentlrman of middle, age, and portly to boot. Taking off; his \ bat; he produces a smoking cap, and is about to make himself comfortable for the' trip, when the first male occupant bends quietly over to him, ancl in a very audible stage whispprisayi mysteriously, "Ihope you don't mind meaisles," pointing at the same time to the slumbering infant. The rubicund face of the gentleman became purple. Scrambhng liia effects together, newspaper, travelling-bag, and pocket-pistol, he was out of the carriage in a twinkang, followed precipitately by his women-kmd who viewed the unoffending infant vrry much like the ograi of children's storybooks are supposed to regard them. r»O time was lost in arranging crinolines, and no fear felt of the contact ot silks and muslins w.th the grease of the wheels of the carriages. It was sauvequi pent with a vengeance, and the gentleman and his wife and child had the compartment to themselves the whole way here ; For the story got wind when the train, stopped at Kyneton, where the speculator got out for a chop ai usual. There he was left in the full enjoyment of all the chops and more than half the counter, and he nays that on the whole he is rather glad he thought of frightening his fellow-passen-jers with the " measles bogie."—Bendigo Advertiser, 23nl February. Fbei Love —We take the following from The Bible Echo:—" Mr* Annie Hunter, whose husband founded the institution.at Berlin Heights, writesfrom Jefferson, Ashtabula Co., 0., sth June, 1868, as follows:— * Mr Editor,— I saw an article in the Ashtabula Telegraph a few days since, taken from your paper, givirig-an account of ihe rescue of a young and, lovely woman by her husband from the den of infamy at Berlin. I do not Itirew^the name of this lady or her husband; but my earnest prayer to God is, that she may never be led into temptationagain.or be brought to know the depths of sorrow and degradation which that same infamous creed has brought upon me. Let her thank a kind Providence 'that she ia reijtdred. to the "arms'of b loving and.kindtfiearted husband, and is not this moment, as I am, a deserted and heart stricken wife and mother, depen- < dent upon my daily labor for the pittance which supports my little ones, and keeps starvation from, our door. My husband \ was the founder of the Berlin Free-love Institution. He has been a believer in that free-love doctrine for about three years. - A year ago or more, he left home, ostensibly upon' business; but he only roamed around in search of free-love companions ; having found a gmall number of which, he took them to Berlin and founded the infamous den of lust whicii'now exists there. .He left me with three little children to provide for, and nothing to do it with but my hands. I have stood for four days in the week over the wash-tub, laboring until my strength has given way entirely, for the sake of a little money with which to feed my children.' "