THE SITE OF THE NEW FIRE STATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3986, 17 July 1913, Page 4

THE SITE OF THE NEW FIRE STATION.

! SHOULD THE.' COUNCIL LEASE THE PROPOSED) SECTION?

MR. LYSNAIF VIGOROUSLY ATTACKS THE SUGGESTION.

“It is an ugly thing to mo—this proposal that ths Borough Council should lease to the Fire Board for a King period the valuable civic reserve at the corner of Vee] : Street and Palmerston Road,” said Mr. \\. D. LvsTiar to a “Gisborne Times” reporter went on to say that this particular reserve Is the only reserve the borough possesses to-day in the business portion of the town. I feel it is a disgrace to those of us who have been associated with the affairs of the borough in the past that we should not have Ihcre reserves for public requirements. They are all too small, and if for no other reason every effort should lie made to retain this particular reserve intact, as was originally intended when it was given to this borough, without power to sell or lease, but to be used only for public requirements. It is very noticeable to me, having travelled through practically every town of importance in this Dominion within the last few months, how backward we are here in the matter of public buildings. In nearly all country towns throughout New'Zealand they have their town hall, libraries, in d other public buildings and institutions that we have not got in Gisborne. In towns of less than three or four thousand where I went there was a town hall available !to speak in. Here we have practically 10,000 people and no such building. The officers in the municipal buildingare already cramped for room for today’s requirements—and the building is not the sole property of the burgesses of this borough, and still is limited for the staff now using it. It is suggested that Hie frontage of the reserve should be leased to the Fire Board, which will mean a very ugly approach to any public buildings they will put updn’the future, to say nothing about the loss to the -borough of the use of the land, and I feel sure Parliament will not sanction the auI thorisation of the breaking of the trust upon which the borough holds these lands if the citizens of this town bestir themselves, as I am glad to see tiiey are doing, and make proper representations to Parliament in this matter. “One feature I was more struck with than any other,” continued' Mr. Lvsnar, “when I was in the older lands, such as England, France, and Germany, was the manner in which they preserve their reserves for the use of the people, and upon inquir.es I found that- the people, while they value land almost to the inch, most jealously guard all their reserves from any leasing or alienating of'them.” ”And apart- from al! this, there is still another big principle in this matter—that- if Parliament is to be used to break trusts at the will of the powers that be, it will set up a very dangerous and bad precedent, and may be the means of stopping gifts or endowments being made for a borough for specific objects when it is known that these objects may be defeated* by asking for a private Bill.”