The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1896. THE AKAROA DOMAIN.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 2073, 28 July 1896, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1896. THE AKAROA DOMAIN.

There exists a po-jralar idea thafc stupidity is a dull, inert sort of thing, ond owly does injuries by its own in.berent deadr.-ess* Scch might have been the case \n media. ».l times. Stupidity is nowadays up to date ami is constantly on the outlook in--high places, and in lowly places lor suljpcts on which to work its senseless will,

What other #pirit of evil irflience could rvor have suggested to the Akaroa Domain Board the recent destruction of the natiro trees in the Domain which ihry wfro* practJcaUy stvorr, to cherish A honour, md cultivate, but this modern dev+iop-wnt of tho spirit of fftupidity. One of the beauties of Ak.na is its Dr.main. Tne residents are iipv r tired, of praising ir, and to the health sreker mid visitor its shade nnd forms of native Iwh nrver ceara tn cb/rm V\ lint every. one whp hn,s visited this snot fidmires, (and tl.>y include cultured' men and "roruni from mary of ibe of tbe old -world ond Mks m».v ig i s state of native loveline'S, in its 'nan twins And, its qhininjr matins and the rest of its greenery that _nes to males tho flora of Npw:Zrj.!a:ii i-ne affile u.n.st, beautiful' in the world, Now much of this is, changer?, the &kg has been laid to the root ol the tree, and Tvas intended hy Nature to be joy for ever hag been ruthlpssly piled into cords -and brands for the burning.

We h»ar that the idea of the Board was'to give the place a par Mike look. The idea of mating a few acres ot very broken ground and der-p gullies into a park, is on a psr-with the rest of the proceedings of tho Board. The fact is, th ppirit of change wne about, and unfortunately it was ndegated to a singh? member of .the Board to say what was to be done. That gentleninn, with the best of instinct had a rather nirrow horizon, and although with certain artistic- instincts, his ideals were not modelled on tho pre* seivation.of native bush but on the larger vistas :.nci wider prospective _f the European eehoolsv

The-milt has now, however, beet) spilt,. and thero is ijltla iws crying fiver it. At the same time the pubrie must keep a Careful . ye to the matter -ai (h*ir niaich cherished d<>tfMttn i« the future. Much aa we believe in the ..^ftplifibration «f locfel gavernaigat, It ts# osmae fca h»' a recognised .mistafte tlr>t *"ho <*ar<& qf the Domain wns avsr b*mswi ever to the Borough CVunriL Ajcnnw in t.feo future can ©iily hope to be a place of ylwjjtiftot; resort, and if tvie local sttjth>rit_«s htliader, what is to -become af us. The Advance A.'caroa Association are to blame iv the matter for not entering a decided protest against tho wholesale destruction of its public amenities, but while the decisions of the Board may have, the force of law, the Association should awake public opinion.

Wa regret to hive to write so strongly opposing the acts of men who possibly give tjieir best to the work they undertake, but were we to remain s-ilent we should neglect a duty we owe the pubic.

The Board, we arc awar.% i* quite equal to risirjg 011 gome occasions to a sense of importance, a,s for instance, when it was proposed to start a tennis club not a boutrh was allowed to be cut, but when'a new cr.^ze-seizes them, wholesale devastation is the order of the day We can assure the members of the present Board tbat public feeling is widely aroused on the suhject, and that if another tree is cut the public will want to know why such fliejj in amber are there and ho.w they got there*