PUBLIC MEETING. TE AWAMUTU PARK.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 920, 16 May 1878, Page 2

PUBLIC MEETING. TE AWAMUTU PARK.

A public meeting, to consider the advisability of changing the proposed site of the Te Awamutu Park, was held in the Public Hall on Tuesday evening last. Despite the inclemency of the weather, this was one of the largest public mi e'ings ever held in Te Awamutu, every part of the district being well represented. Some little delay took place in electing a chairman. Messrs Sloane and Bridgeman being proposed. On a show of hands being taken Mr Bridgeman was elected, but declined to act. Mr James Henderson was then proposed, and accepted the office. Tne onairman read the notice convening the meeting, and hoped that all the speakers would have an impartial bearing. He would ask Mr Gresham to read the correspondence which had taken place which would explain the present position of the matter. Mr Gresham then read the following correspondence : — [copy.] te awamutu recreation ground. To the Honorable Sir George Grey, K.C.8., D.C.L., &c, &c, &c, Premier of New Zealand. Sir; — According to your directions, expressed on the occasion of your late visit to the township, I have now the honor to transmit to you herewith a rough sketch of the Goverment reserve lands, showing the site proposed for the Te Awamutu recreation ground. Tho area comprised in such site is about sixteen (16) acres. — I remain, Sir, your most obedient, humble servant, Wx. Sloank, Chairman of the Rangiaohia District Highway Board. Te Awamutu, Waikato, Feb. 11, 1878. Government Offices* Wellington, February 19, 1878. Sir, — I have been directed* by the Premier to inform you that he will take an early opportunity of consulting the Honorable the Secretary for Crown Lands respecting the suggested reserve for a recreation ground for J'e Awamutu, which is the subject of your letter of the 11th inst.-r— l have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, E. Fox. To Win, Sloane, Esq., Chairman Rangiaohia Highway Board. Public Works Office, WeUingtbn, April 23, 1878. Sir,— The Hon. the Minister for Public Works directed me to forward the enclosed copy of a petition from the inhabitants of To Awamutu, and to state that the Government would feel obliged by your offering such remarks on the matter as circumstances may require. — I have the honor to be, Sir t your obedient 6>rvant, Charles T. Benzosx (in absence of Under Secretary for Public Works)-. To tho Chairman of the Te Awamutu Highway Board, Auckland. [OOPT.] To theHonorable Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Premier of New Zealand, izc, &c., <fcc. Sir, — We, the undei signed inhabitants of Te Awamutu, on learning that a movement has been made to induce the Government to dedicate for a public park the only available land for public sale m th« township — thereby tending -to retard the progress and advancement of Te Awamutu — respectfully request that you will cause this land to he surveyed and offered for public competition as soon as may be, in compliance with a .petition forwarded to the Waste Lands Board and signed by nearly all the inhabitants of tho district. We respectfully call your attention to the fact that the township is hemmed in on all sides either by private property or Church Mission Land, which land, as you are aware, cannot be sohl, aud if these few acres are withdrawn from sale tho public wiU have no opportunity to settle and build in Te Awamutu. Trusting you will give this, our request, your favorable consideration, — We have, &c, Jolin R. Roche, Andrew Kay, H. Roche, J. H. Mandeno, G. Wilkinson, James L. Mandeno, James Henderson, K. Sibley, Jas. Cunningham, Henry Lewis, Win. Jackson, J. W. W. Stone, C. T. Bockit, William H. Pohlen. ' At this stage it was discovered that the next letter was mislaid. It was a letter from Mr Sloane, as chairman of the Rangiaohia Highway Distrist to the Government, sending in the names of seven gentlemen, and requesting the Government to select three of them to act as trustees for the proposed

park, which elioUed the folljwing reply :— General Crown Lands Office, i;r'o%\ -y|^ ;; '^WeUiugton, 1878. Sia^Referring'to your letter of tho 13th inst«i%furm>hh!& tho names of trustees o^) B^^? 4 to yt « fc the recreaI have the bf the Honorable MlmsterJjSf 'Mndtfytp enclose copy of a Jfttet recepd from the Chief Surveyefrbf Auckland, and I am to request .I°^*° bejgoo-d' enough to inform the Government whether the 18 acres on. the northern side of the village would not be , .j».iftorß,cejiyenient^site.ioE- the.reoreation. ground than the one originally suggested for that purpose. — I have the honor to he, sir, your most obedient servant, D. M. ■ Shott, Undersecretary for Grown Lander The Chairman Rangiaohia Highway ■ District BbardVTe Awamutu, Auckland. [copy.] 1 (Memorandum). ' District Survey Office, y Ahcklaijd, April 17; J878. To -the dammisfuoner Crown Lands, Auckland, On my recent visit to Te Awamutu tp arrange about the survey of the • village , there I find that the Government have some lots still remaining on thie northern side., of . the present village containing altogether 18' acres, and these lobs are .much, more suitable for a recreation ground than that proposed being, more, level, and might be made a very pretty placeby planting along the stream. /These lots are hot so suitable for a village site' as they are further removed ffoih the present centre of population, and the prOfoSd terminus of the railway and are besides away from the roads from ■' Alexandra, -Hamilton, Rangiaohia, and Jfihikihi, which all meet at the present village site. I would therefor* recommend that ■ thc§e facts be represented to the Government with a view of effecting an exchange as suggested above. Tins woxdd be in accordance wiih the viows of the people, settlers at the present village, -who as you are aware have sent in a petition asking, that the .lands remaining in the hands of 'the Government be auMivided ior iale.— (signed) S. PjbbctSkith, Chief Surveyor. Mr Cunningham asked who gave authority in. the first instance for i the survey. It appeared to him that Mr Sloane had taken the. responsibility of this on his own shoulders. He had taken it into his head that there should be a park, and had ordered the survey ; and had actually nominated trustees without consulting any one on the matter. Mr Sloane said, on the 7th Feb. I saw Sir George Grey at Alexandra. I told him there was some ground here undedicated to any purpose, and asked him to grant fifteen acres of it fjr the purpose of forming a park and recreation ground for the use of the district. Sir G. Grey replied that we should have it. He would like to see every township and village with its own recreation ground, and it we fenced it securely he would give us trees from the Kawau to plant it with. He considered he was acting not only for the benefit of the inhabitants of Te Awamutu, but also tor the whole district. It would be a boon to future generations. The sketch of the proposed site was drawn by Mr Mellon, on the authority of the instructions given by Sir George Grey. Mr A. Kay said : No doubt existed in hia mind, that Mr Sloane , , thought he was acting for the best 1 interest of the district, but the j proper course would have been to j have called a meeting of the settlers to have considered the question. If j this land was taken for a park ik^re was no other available land in Te j Awamutu, for building purposes, j whilst if it was cut up and sold it would bring a large price, and the money if Government would grant it would purchase a far superior park. He would, move as a resolution "That the fifteen ncre lot be surveyed and sold in Township lot." Major Jackson in seconding said, Mr Sloane had no authority to act in the nutter without co.isulting the people, Mr Gresham said he considered this meeting was convened to decide whether the fifteen acres in the township or the eighteen a?res in the Mangahoo should be accepted. It was not necessary to describe the two lots, h© believed every one present knew them. The eighteen acre lot was covered with furze, and would cost ten pound per acre, or, one hundred aDd eighty pounds in all to clear alone. Mr Storey was his authority for saying this (Mr Storey denied any such) estimate. Mr Gresham Baid he had it from Mr Sloane that Mr Storey said so; he Lad no wish to mislead. Mr Storey stated that he simply said it cost £6 per acre to clear furze land. A discussion here ensued as to how much furze there was on the land, the general opinion being that there was not more than five acres. Mr Gresham continued: the meeting should consider the relative value of tho two lots. The fifteen acres in the centre of the village was good land, worth at least; £300, the eighteen acres was inferior, not worth move than seventy pounds. They should take the most valuable; Mr Winstone said the quality of the land was of no moment, they did not want a recreation ground to keep cattle. The fifteen acres was not suitable, it Was too broken ; it would not answer either for cricket or a racecourse, whereas the eighteen acres was level, and would answer every purpose. Major Jackson ■ lid Mr Gresham undervalued the land. The fifteen acres was worth far more than £300. He had no doubt Mr Sloane thought ( he was acting for the best in this > matter, but what he protestedagainst was either one or a dozen : men saying they represented the : district without consulting the in- «

habitants. In a question like this all should be consulted. Mr Bridgeman pnfpsed as an amendment ' *• /' k^ "That Government be ire^ucslPll not to vary the site of|tibe Te Awamutu^park. .^ ! Sec.mdltl by, Mrr^llan-Henderj son. ' r ;'; £-"'. v-h-" j Major Jackson \#sTied;,,to know who was entitled f&i vse|&fc lljid meeting Mr Sloane had Mid that the park was for the benefit of the district within a. radius;dQen mUes, but he protested against tbTe .ratepayers of any other district voting oil this matter. If the fifteen asres were sold, a certain proportion of the proceeds would come to the Rangiaohia District Board* Whichever site they chose the Trustees! might throw open for 'the benefit ofy the whole district if they liked, but he objected to any outside power having a voifce in the selection. JMr Gresham read through the names signed in the letter; sent tp; Sir George Grey and objected to many of them on the ground that they were not what they styled themselves inhabitants of Te Awamutu. This led to a somewhat lively discussion which had no particular reference to. the, motions before the meeting. Mr A. Kay said he ; should like to kmw something of the conditions of the trust and the duties of the, Trustees. This led. to some, discussion, but no one appeared to know the exact nature of the conditions or of the duties required of trustees. .Afr Sloane said the names of the seven gentlemen he had nominated were, Messrs. Bockett, Potts, Wetheril l, Henderson, Sloane, Winstone, and Major Jackson. The Chairman said he was never consulted, and would have declined to act if appointed. Mr Roche proposed as another amendment^ " That in the opinion of this meeting the eighteen acres on the cast side be reserved for a recreation ground instead of the thirteen acres on tho south side." He said the fifteen acres were not suited for a recreation ground. Doubtless its sequestered gullies wore admirably adapted for billing and cooing, and he thought Mr Sloane must have had a vivid reflection of his own early days when he applied for this site, it was not suited for any other put pose, what they wanted in a recreation ground was a place suitable for cavalry drill and cricket. He considered Mr Sloane acted in this matter detrimental to the interest of Te Awamutu. He had told Mr Lewis he would go against Te Awamutu because the people of Te Awamutu went against him. He would like to see the fifteen acres cut up into building lots in accordance with a petition sent some time ago, and signed by nearly all the settlers in the district, and including the name of Mi Gresham, who was now so strongly objecting. Mr J. H. Mandeno in seconding the amendment said, if this land is locked up, there is no other available land for building purposes. The Mission land cannot be sold, and it is well known that people will not put up such good buildings on leasehold, as on freehold laud. The 18 acres were, available in every respect, handy to the town and bounded by a stream. With regard to clearing, men conld.be found who would take it on a short leaso, and lay it down in grass. Mr A. Kay requested the chairman to rule as to who should vote The Chairman ruled that all residents of the surrounding districts were eligible to vote. Mr H. Roche's ameudment was then put. A show of hands was i taken, which not being satisfactory, j a division was called for, which resulted in a large majority for the amendment. Major Jackson proposed : "That a meeting of ratepayers of the Rangiaohia Highway District be called, for the purpose of submitting names to the Government to act as Trustees." Seconded by Mr Winstone, and carried, ' A hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman, concluded the meeting.