Purchase of land. At the October meeting it was resolved that £100 be offered for the strip of land next the Ash Yard. The matter had been discussed at the September meeting, on the recommendation of the Committee that the said strip of land be purchased of the Railway company if it could be had at a reasonable price. To this Coun. Vidler strongly objected, urging that when they levied a sixpenny rate, that was never to be exceeded, but if they kept on purchasing land in that manner there was no knowing where the rates would stop. Presumably, this economist would have stood aghast if he had lived to the times when the same description of rates had doubled, tripled and quadrupled. It was Coun. Putland who had previously stated that a sixpenny rate ought never to be exceeded, but it was he also that in this advised the purchase of the said slip of ground, advancing as a reason that Ore Lane would become more important every year, and that the further they kept the ash-yard away from the road the better it would be. If they could get that slip of land – about half an acre – they could turn it to a useful purpose, and if not, they could again sell it. He had no hesitation in saying that all their recent purchases if again sold would realize more than their cost. Mr. Putland’s view of Ore Lane becoming more important every year has been fully proved to be correct.
Pleasure Grounds. At the September meeting, a memorial was received, with a plan, from 403 ratepayers, for establishing pleasure-grounds at the Priory. Coun. Putland, in supporting the memorial, said “let us have this only available piece of ground, if possible, which in a few years will double its present value”. Coun. Winter thought Putland’s pleasing picture would be over-clouded with the want of money. Coun. Vidler and Coun. Harvey dreaded the expense, which would perhaps be one or two thousand pounds to come out of the rates. Ald. Ross strongly advocated the proposal, and thought they should stretch a point on such a matter. They would not be purchasing of hard taskmasters, but would be dealing with parties who would do what they could for the benefit of the town. Coun. Bromley could not see how the project could be carried out, but he would move that it be referred to committee. This was carried. At the next meeting (Oct. 1st) the Clerk (Mr. Growse) reported that Miss Sayer had named £1200 for the larger piece, about six acres of ground, and £250 for a smaller piece, but stipulated that only such buildings should be erected as were necessary for a pleasure ground. The Countess of Waldegrave was quite willing -
