UTILITY V. SENTIMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 153, 29 June 1914, Page 6

UTILITY V. SENTIMENT.

AUCKLAND'S VOLCANIC KILLS (TYK LEAGUES ACTION. The CNoculivo of tbe Auckland Wi men's Civic League has appointed a sir committee tor city beautify in™ an scenery conservation. The members 1 :ho sub-committee have been inakiny ii ipiirie- int., llie injury done to ;!u> vo ,-anie hills ~t Auckland. \t a m,-tin hoi I on risuisd.iy L.-.th inst.. ihe follow in;: preliminary report on tbe conditio -,!' la '..ill- wa- read: "Scoria pits hay 1.-in 0|.e.,,d on nearly every volonni I .", ci in 1 Auckland. t>n Mouni S; .lulu in the early day-, the Load Hoard lie.i ward- cIo-;d by an injunction of th supremo Court.' up.! the ~u..rrv r.-er. was 1 hou adbVl to Hie public D 0111..1 ,t the lop of the bill. Now. iioweve--. ~1.,,-rv- i- K-ini; opened iv another par Lie i;,,.i'l Hoard ar- m.-t a i.xh.i:.- I ay ibo bill, but have not C o v. an ,f pin. a.i-in- Tin l"i arc ahoii! a du/o •n-:\\ value, -o tin; Mount st. .lohn i iliroa-onr 1 with d-s; ru.-t ion. ■■iin Mount I'aleli the wor.-t di-fl^iir-•ilea; i- on I lie 11..1 ib -ide but there II r ,!-„ I-.-,- noticeable ,|'iar,i,- b.-lonsim.' I the An- kliind ( ilv Coiini il and ti'- lit' l "Mount All, it i- Hi,- worst ■-«-»•- Thi licintiful Utile hill, which wa-lb, char: of th- district, aid made the vv hide iioi». a.iurlu.o.l aura,-live to suburban v--1,.,,:-. i- now ,1 wreck, with an >y!.v u-i ,-,.:,; „,, to 1!,. ..timn.it. The Mom. Mbort Hnrmisli I uilii.il have made p-i -i.-ieni e11',,!-- to err.-: t'"' "ork < cm. but vvr 11,11; r. - 1! I -'- j=i'i" T c.vrer of iboso i|iiai ii,- 1- the , ...v. n incut, and tli.'.v u-c lh.' -coria f<>' - ™i '"('if tlie Three Kin;-'- proup. one i nearly on.irricl mil oi existence, and I.V others are licin- do-tiovcd. Th-c _<■_>" in -.he hand- of piivate owner-. I-' only hiilnow int.,'. ."T;..- Crc.n K'u," i. oil ihe c-t.lt" Ol I'l" Metllo.llct Inland i- ji .-. in ilium dial.- .tumier •<- lb present iriisteo- are fmiv illho to '•" iio'sooiirity for tin- future. Tv- Tru-t i op.-nins .1 m-vv ii-aininu colh-.se. and I obtain revenue are 1.-a\ill-J part "■ '-''el , -ta,,- at. Tl Kin-'- f"V Mlbur'.uu .-,-, tbuis in curiara-ivilv ,-li*<' r-otll.'tncm They are auxioii- to -oil l">'l "t 7" a. r, - a ,1 pobli.- p.uk. li tiie entire lu'd oil, wi.il! 1 be a crc.ll boon 1" (11:11:0 n- .!,„:- ,■■; thi- distil.;, a- well as ~. ill In oon!;:-ion the -ii'.-oommitl-e wi-he to iraw public attention to '.In- fa.-t t'".i t!iore i- n 1 qucsti ,11 botvvoon hay in ..00.l i- .., !- or pi-e-erviiio the hill-, a - orii i- a had .111 1 peri-hable m.ilori: or road ni.ikinc. and 'inuoh inferior 1 Yi-altio rock. They are informed that scoria were n.-ci s-ary. larjic -nppiics colli without injury helm; ,1 Lars.. .|'.i n titie- of -lone . 11l 1-e L'pl oil tie |!a wiih.ml ib-t rue: ion to the t-.onip There are alrel.ly .|uariie- i.orkc.l a Mornin.-ide. Te Kuiti. Penrose, an 1 o the ll.it in I) inioii P.0i.1. Th-' ,|, U . tion i- bolw.ot, lb- iiiimi bite pr tits c .1 c-inipar.il ivolv ;', vv ,-it:/ us an 1 th Coo.l of the .-in- and the whole body ■ it- iiili.ibi; ml-, prcc-ut and future. PROTEST SENT In M.P.'S. I Ivy ill;j to the fact that il i - liitlicltl! t piove ilano..,- t ,. tiie -uiiunit until tl vv rbiiv.s an- u.tuallv 111 operation, it improbable ihat the'lb.ad Hoard v, ill 1 able 1,, lain:: f. rvvar.l the no-,—arv ,- pert evidence, but the ,h:iinuaii ha- -.'! lie 1 Mlowino letter to the speaker of tl 1,,.,,-,. 1 tl..- Il"ii. I". W. Lin--' nnd l! member-, lor Auckland: — -| am desired by ihe members of th F*<u.nl io invil" your attention to tl ,'<•-: 111 l ion oi la,- vai inns volcanic hi! which 1- p..inj. on around Hie ciiy . Auckland. \\ liiNt ill most in-l.nai- tl summits arc public reserve-, the -id, have |-,-scd into privet uier-hip . are vested in dillereul local and oth, tlic-c cm iiuistaiices it can only lie .pu-tion of 11 lev years l-I'..rc nil the Ivautiiul hill- are scarred with pr-.-ip tons workin-rs which will irreparably 11 jure their appearance and will. niur. over. I, ivc their s,,„,„ots surrounded I liiflll cliffs of -coria. l-roin a p'olopcpoint ~f view those hill- are of iini,|i interest, while il. i- universally admitti lhat they form 0110 of the most intoning and beautiful of the many featur. that render our ciiy so attractive. Ti question is whether we must submit to continuance of the destruction which now (Joins on. or \\bother any means oil be devised to -lop il. II is often alle.ee that the scoria must be had for th maintcuani-e of roads, but it i- olwioi that the lune has arrived for a 11101 durable material for use in road uiakiii: and. even adinittins any such neecs-it; II would Ik- better that one or two hill should lie doomed rather ihan the should all !*■ injured. Mt. Smurt an Ml. Albert are almost irretrievably ii jure, I. The only practical solution , the difficulty seems to he for 1 ho NoZealand Government 1,, take the side ,:f all these bills under tho Public Work Act and to charge the local bodies ~,,1 corned say one-half of the interest an sinking fund until the ,-nst is ropah They could either be added to the exist in? summit, domains or. whore n"t suit aide for public ~so. could bo leased t owners of the adjoining lands." MAYOR SUGGEST? Pl~m.lt MKT.TIN, The Mayor. Mr. C. J. l>a, r. 1 .M.C had soiuotiiin.e' t" say this moniins 10 . •Slar" rcpri -eniativo oonoornin; the question "i pr rvins 011 beauty spots. In Sydney, he observed there is a uscl'ii! sovietv which kcepi- . watchful eve oil all vandal piopo-ition-ami recently < 111-.-km.Uod a proposal t. run a la'dwav line illons farm Cove - To ,!,-t,,,v 'a be.nihil mountain r, w:-. ,-k a line beach front. :■ i b-.ir a price •,, pay now d.iv - for an. utilitarian ,- heme. ,-, nutked in- Mat..l. '• I: v..,- will ,|,,.;, rc'.'l-l I lii.'t I noticed (lull the llnr- ;,-.•.. lliil llo.i-! Hoard found il wa- nnaV i0:.,i..-a:,v -~v- lo'.iev.ut ! h. -.! ,-p.di;,, of Mount ---. .1111111. Il -,- 111,- ti al (li I'.iar.r- I'L'al alvi-.Ts' have ~,lvi-e .: MUi-t any aeliol, P.lll the ~:,!:,• .'••, nl.l i' 'i bo a110w.,! !,, re-l ho,, ,li-irii.-t-oii -bnp'v ciiinoi be pern-.iiio.i ! nuii" I -ii-::,--' f„ tie O,:- jr,-,- Ifil lb mil. ; 1. and E| pc ,p!e ;h if til-. ~r".inise .1 pubii.- ircctir-?. vvilh a v b-w 1 pr ar- ■ . boa,- on lb,- li iv-rn n-.cnt. v T,-li 5'.,..-.,;.i ~,;., im i-5.!,'.,:.. \?n\. brb-.n whi.h will -i.o thi= S;ip hill abeauty cpo' f"r a'! fiivo." ROAn BMARII'S niniTKNi v. Takinc th,- view- 1!,»: il i- i m ,, r ,,e n .. int.-i- el,.- the O-.s t, I|j:' (.„_,. lioit 1 !i.i- tln-iJeJ not to apji'.y for a inj unction to I'Mixaia ileatrs." "Wimtoas

r i Ltd.. from openins a quarry on the ~\d" of Mt. St. John, one of Auckland's proi-itie-t volcanic hilt, unless the enterprise I jeopardise* the summit. The Hoard has tak.-n the opinion of its solicitors on the matter, but it has ! been advised that an action for an inI junction v. ill bo li-eless unless expert. evidence is adduced to show that the '" I proposed action of the quarry company '.will endanger the stability of the sum- . Unit. ' ! At a recent meeting of the Hoard the '" chairman i Mr. tl. Ik Morton, remarked ''thai as the people of Auckland were pn 2 I indifferent to tbe fate of the volcanic j ! hills in tho district it was hopeless to try jto save them. Tho only possible way in |j j which tiie hill- could be preserved wis jfor the (.ovornuient lo take them under "the Public Works Act. and cbarfre each , j local bo.lv all or portion of the interest "and ,-ink'ins fund. Thus ihe hills could l.c kept a- public reserves or leased to tthe owners ~f tho .idjoinius h-ve! land. " j The Hoard ha- decided thai unless . jibe llec.-s.irv expert evidence is obulill ,' able, it will'not take any further step- , !lo re-train th,- opening „f 'ho quarry, „ i.-nd will consent l" the application for ,- 'a roadway into adioinins property (of .. I the removal of the scoria. ! .