Random Shots.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 160, 8 July 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

Random Shots.

ZAMWC

A Scenery Preservation Society is mooted in Auckland, and the suggestion comes not a day too soon. There is abundance of scope for the society in this district, and an energetic body of men and women who have an eye for the beautiful in nature and a sense of the appropriateness of things can do a lot to prevent the spoliation of scenic attractions and historic spots which is now going- on not only here, tut throughout the country. Pbr one thing the society mig-ht very well begin with an effort to prevent the destruction of the remains of the ancient native fortifications on the volcanic hills around Auckland. Mount Eden, Mount Albert and other hills are being undermined by great scoria quarries, and it does not appear to be anyone's duty to interfere with this ruthless work. The Devonport borough authorities some time 6.g0 went to a great tieal of trouble- to beautify ORangitOto Island and render it more accessible to visitors, but as far as the mainland around Auckland is concerned the local authorities have done little or nothing to enhance the attractions pf the many beauty spots or preserve them in their original form. . - ■ The ease of One Tree Hill is a noteworthy exception. That pretty locality has been made a very attractive park, and the Aucklander in years to come will thank the taste and good sense of-the men who took such care of their public heritage. Mr S. Percy Smith, the Surveyor-General, in a recent interesting history published, entitled "The. Peopling of the North," refers tp,One.-.Tree Hill (or Maunga-.kiekie—-the mountain of the kiekie plant-^-as it was called by the Maoris), and in connection with its present name mentions the fact that in the early days there stood a solitary totara tree on the Summit of the hill, planted very many years ago on the occasion of the naming of a child of rank who was born there. This tree, he says, was cut down by some Goth of a white man in the early days of Auckland. The hill was formerly named, from the fact of the planting of this -tree, Totara-'i-ahua. There are similar reminiscences of interest associated With all these volcanic hills around Auckland, on each of which in bygone days stood the palisaded and terraced forte of the great Wai-o-Hua tribe, and it. would be well if everything possible were done to preserve the vanishing traces of these ancient people of the land who teemed in their thousands on; the Tamaki isthmus long before Captain Cook set sail for ihe Southern seas. "Hi i <^^JksM^~^_s, &> > There is another branch of work which the Scenery Preservation Society could- take up with great advantage. That is ■ the jealous preservation, of , the small clumps of native bush whicli i-till remain around, Auckland and on the islands of the Hauraki Gulf. Tinte whs. when the Waiternata was everywhere fringed by a magnificent green border of venerable pphutukawa trees,. Whose blood-red blossoms at Christmas time made a brilliant and beautiful sight. Of course it could not be expected that the trfees Gould be preserved on the actual site of the city, but great havoc was wrought amongst the groves of this fine tree by the shipbuilders' in their quest for suitable ship's knees, and the pohutukawa disappeared. There are still, however, some fine! clumps of this tree left, notably one which must have been admired by" every picnicker and boating man Who has visited Orakei. This grove stands on the cliff at the western end ioi the Orakei block, facing _?a___el_, a beautifulrelic of the ancient woods which covered the shores of the' Waiternata. *&^e_*«£?«&«s?e&_e-<-At the back of Orakei and in the Vicinity; of the Purewa Creek there is .also a extent of thick native, hush, untouched by the hand of man. This is on a portion of the native- reserve, and it is one of the prettiest little hits of light bush to be seeh near Auckland. But, as it happens, these: remains of the native tesh are lit the hands of private owners, _ihd a •Scenery Preservation Society could not interfere with the owners' privileges. They could do a good deal thdugh to put a stop to the thoughtless destruction of native vegetation which is too common a practice amongst picnickers1 and excursionists. Complaints have Of ten been made that SUmmef' visitorsto Motutapu and Waiheke Islands are reckless of the damage they make to the splendid native bush oh those islands and are not injtrequentty guilty of wanton destruction. What is wanted is a publicspirited sentiment, on this question, and a feeling which will have the result of makipg; everyone feel the a.-sponsibmty..",.pf preserving those matural object^ which please the eye and remind one of the past scenic glories of this part of the country.

. Some of ; the .most delightful little spots iinaginabie _tq to be found within, a couple .of hours sail of the •Queen-street.wharf on the island of M'nlheke in particular; yet many of "these places are exposed to the risk of damage ?tnd spoliation on the part of careless excursionists on every public holiday. Most of the localities I have in mind ' are in

'the hands ,of 'private- owners, but that consideration does not prevent the visitors . from burning or breaking or cutting down .trees. One particular t ' spot; jfixes itself on my memory as a j scene.. of quiet' beauty which the steamboat excursionist has • ; not Vyet succeeded in spoiling. This is; .Awaroa Bay, Waiheke, where on one side of, the bay lies a little shming-beach shaded by a, park-like clump;' of pohutukawa. Above the beach, rises a stepp bush-clad Mil, on the ; summit p£ which are the deepscarped . earthworks and ditches of an old-time .Maori pa, so ancient that great pohutukawa, and puriri trees are giowing out,oi. the trenches. There

are scores of similar spots around Auckland which nature and historical associations combine to invest with peculiar interest; yet the average visitor sees not nor appreciates. The picnicker too often looks on trees as a convenient spot to boil the billy, or as supplying a handy bit of timber on which to try his axe, and as often as not he fcrgets to put the fire out when he leaves. These are the sort of people who require to be taught the duty of preserving as carefully as they can the scenic treasures of our district, for the enjoyment of all not only in the present day but for those who come after us. C-_*;^_«._w_W._^c_A'C_Wc_t Another direction in which the Scenery Preservation Society might With benefit to the public extend its efforts is that of tree-planting on Arbor Day. A day next week has been fixed by the Government as Arbor Day throughout the colony, but I am afraid that very little in the direction of tree-planting will be done in the Auckland district this year. One local body, the Parnell Borough Council, intend, I believe, to plant a number of trees on Campbell's Point, which is a public recreation reserve. This is an excellent idea, but I hope the Council will take warning from the sight of other localities in and around Auckland and not plant such eyesores as pinus insignus, or the gloomy macrocarpa. If trees are to be set there, let there be suitable natives trees amongst the list. The pohutukawa, totara, karaka, puriri, titoki, and ngaio are all exceedingly beautiful trees, and they could all be planted successfully, and would in time form a splendid little park. They do not grow so radiply as the less sightly imported trees, but that would be compensated for in the days to come, when the pohutukawa would once more fringe the at present bare cliffs and wave over the salt water. A judicious mingling of native and English trees would be advisable, but I think that wherever possible in the vicinity of town attention should be given to the re-foresting of vacant pieces of public ground with the vegetation which is native to the couhtry. "Tommy Atkins" through the medium of a Southern contemporary does a growl concerning what he calls "sham decorations." He says: "I have been requested by several old soldiers and men possessing military decorations and medals to call attention to the degradation inflicted in such tokens of honour by persons wearing 1 medals, etc., at public functions when they are not entitled to do so. It is hard for a man who received his medal for active service in the Crimea or India or Africa to see some exvolunteer with his coat covered with decorations that by the regulations he is not allowed to wear. Several members of the Upper House are especially blameworthy in this respect, evidently thinking that they are, persons too highly placed for the Defence Department to interfere with them, which seems to be true. Of course, they only appear ridiculous in the eyes of people who know the worth of the so-called decorations, and the sevices for which they were obtained, but nevertheless it discounts the value of the military rewards which these other things counterfeit. It is coming to this: that if things are not altered the active service men are going to advertise in the papers asking all those who have Avar medals or Humane Society medals not to wear them in public. Then the tin decorations can be left to their present heroic wearers and the soldiers of the Salvation Army." zSsi_lae&KWXsiSX—9^e3* The payment of the old age pensions this week at the Chamber of Mines was another occasion for a gathering of old identities, and many a warm shake of the hand was exchanged between friends who had come out together in the early days to help to build up a nation in this far-away section of the British Empire. Anyone looking at the old folks in a comfortable room attended to by the courteous clerks and supervised by the Deputy Registrar must have been convinced that there is nothing in. the method of paying the pensions that -warrants the sneering remarks one hears made occasionally about it being a pauperising agency. The old people who came out to the colony in the early days were not of the stamp paupers are made from, and a few pounds paid to aid the declining years of those who from various causes find themselves unprovided for in their old age is money well spent, more especially as they have all for the past quarter of a century at least been contributing their quota towards the payment of pensions to retired Civil servants. It would not be a bad idea if as a means of doing away with this talk about the old age pension being a pauperising payment, all Government pensions were paid at the same time and place. 4.4.4"_"_"_"_"-' N fro doubt some of the old people when they met on pension day recalled the bygone days in Auckland, when they were the contributors to funds for public relief, when the distress was so great that even the authorities ran out of cash, and Sir George Grey gave £50 per month to assist the poor. It is rather a singular fact that the present Deputy .Registrar (Mr John King) was relieving officer in those terrible times, When the authorities had to run Soup kitchens and go into flax dressing for the benefit of the unemployed. It was in those days that the Hon. WSwanson advanced about £800 to the authorities free of interest in order that funds should not be wanting for the relief of the poor of Auckland. A new generation are apt to forget these acts of beneficence, but the old identifies have good memories. Probably most of those receiving pensions now were comfortably off in those days and did their share in assisting for it is not want of thrift that causes many old colonists, to be short of cash at the end of their days. Nor is it that they have eaten their cake, but because too often others ate it for them. Only this week a jury brought in a verdict of death from heart disease, when the true reason might have been stated as died from having too many shares in a certain financial institution. It is causes like that which result in many people who , made money in the prime of their life finishing up with but little cash in the bank. I note that the special committee appointed by the British House of Commons strongly recommends the j payment of old age pensions. ' i