Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1894. THE MASTERTON PARK.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4688, 6 April 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1894. THE MASTERTON PARK.

The total coat of the Masterton Park, from the time it was laid off in 1877 i up till tlm present date, has been about seventeen hundred pounds. This, at the present day, may seem to be extravagant price to hare paid for a recreation ground; but probably several generations to come ' will not regret the expenditure, Every year the trees are growing, and it is only a question of time tor the plaoe fo bepopie a very beautiful and eonvepient pleasure resort. On an average, for seventeen years, a ibpdred pounds per annum has been expended, and we venture to say that betore the Park fully meets the demands and realises the expectations of Cricket, Football and Athletio Clubs, an additipnal jfve Ipfjred pgijnds will be needediorimprovements.l'hequestion to be deoided.is: how ia a aura of five hundred pounds* to be raised 1 Some - fatuous 'critics say: band the Park over to the .Borough Couuoil and then worry that body into finding all that is needed. But, jnforinnately.,.these rough and ready resolvers of the difficulty cannot get any assurance from the city fathers of any considerable ' expenditure in this direction, and the ratepayers have not manifested any inphnatjon to have their rates applied fo Park improvements, Tlie Town Tfuat could, undoubtedly, find tjie moppj'i Jjuf it is understood th»t it js Hflwiljing to tajte over tlje reserve, and )t ca'auot be dpuencjsd upon to shoulder the "responsibility, The only practical proposal comes from the Park Trustees themselves, who siy that if the Town Lands Trust will help them with an annual subsidy they will endeavour to augment it by subscriptions from the public, bo that for some years to cornel there may be a reasonable prospect of - about a hundred a year. (>eing spent in necessary improvements. 'lt may be thpught that the Park Trustees are too sanguine, but tjiij? was said of them many years ago Uval at aii estimated cost of £l5O. i On thatooeasion they £Jjj by prjvate •subscriptions, and obtained an equal sum from the Town Lands Trust, Any undertaking to which they have committed themselves they |iave carried through, and there is no reason to doubt that tliey are still e.fjual to polling through any prografjjjne t|iey ljiay lay opt, As an example pf this, upon one occasion tfiey deteipngtl to-pay off the £4OO d# pn file jjwjt.'jt took them many years tp do this, but they persisted till they carried their point, and, we do not remember on any occasion that tliey failed to redeem any pledge which tbey made, For many years they have had a thankless task, but that mutters little. The only question* now is tho further development and improvement of the. fark.' On iliis, the present Trustees are ,juite unselfish I If any responsible' body will undertake the work the farje Trustee's witf te delighted to band fiver the reserve, Jino resDppsijjlfl to,(jy will pledge its.elfso far. trouble and diffic%'of pacing lihe reserve all that footballers, cfloftetefj/, and athletes desire it to be.