A YEAR LOST.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10757, 10 September 1900, Page 7

A YEAR LOST.

TVttY TflK SOUTH BELT HAS NOT

DXXX PLANTED,

ft.V (U « M'KCIAL RKI'ORTER.)

The c>; the South belt has been » siil>j« vt "'!'''•''• h' M l jep n befftre the public m Y ;, f;! l ..!) fur a considerable time. The fjfv (Viitiril p«s;iyed to deal witii the quesjinn. l»ii* 'I" , V( h'nham Borough Council ~( ;h,tt tinio tl«:cli:ied to move in the matter. SuW<i»" Il{ b' the Beautifying Association ntu!. , .* nx-'V* , in the aaroe direction, and I ,:■.:•■. «(T<« entertained—the City Council sn .j Sv<!'-n!n!ii Bonnigli Council both agreewi l " P vc ;1 "h'lvition—tihatth* work should {„_.■ ',i,,itt' (liJi'iiii. , iiif |!rest'nt planting »*»on. ii<>« fvi i. Iμ.* not been the case, and itiMTVifWi w.:- li;ul by a member of the tUtl of ' 1,, l':i>-i" with two jnembers of th=' J!--' i- v - ,! - -\ss(v.-iiition as to the rea«on. \j;,i;, it;. :, '~,.< ii!i:d« by the Beautifying A»*> iit! » f r 'he appointment by the City f,,uii< •■: '■;' ;v.ii <it !".4ates to confer witli the £**:*; .it :..ii. 'liv.-v brought up«a r , jN .K r< ■. ..nun.-ii.lijisj that the belt be plantf j ;l!t in .iviiiiiv vi the centre, from Colombo strcrt wismvik! in the Uhcoln road, and fH t»:t.l fi >;» W.ikbmi road to the junction iif the (■-;>? b;--.t. In the intervening porn ,,ns iiie I'fiUtiiiK u> be on the footpaths. j>!.,;,,. U...-S Mf.-e conaiideml m<*t suitable IV «•■»<. mcliulaitr tlie protection of the w. ■■' •"!"•' ; : ;' 'I «t £100, of which the >.«■')■:■;.:!;..n «-.-ii!d contribute £30, the Council j>iyit!.if tin- kilance. The report was ;.tl ,)>■■!. an.l it. wan resoived to cam- out UK- v.-r»rk. frifl-.dinif the Sydenham Borough Council a;.-nTd t.> share the cost. After ,-.,;»•■.■■ i:--..tiati.Mi the Sydenham Council ?,ft ! 'l.l" '■"'"Nhih- £25 and the City Council £25, tho Association to carry out the v.i. rk.

(>r<> of Hi.- rosom why wo did not n.ifumw; t;ic work tbli mlson," said the lirst h -.ii!.'i;in to whom the question veaA p-.jK)un.i.-d. •••an.N that we ha<l not got th« tr««» f"i- purpose.. But the principal piint. I t.'uiilc, wus tlw-t the Planting CommiMef »]'!«'i:i;(il hv the Beautifying Association w.:.- iidt allowed to oarry out the uovk in tile way Uiat w« <ie»Lred to do UV wanted lo put the. whole of tlie trt«H <,a ilic- f.»!.t.;.,ifhs. Imt th* Councils and nome <if our < un iiH'mbi'r* demurred u> thde, and wanted t! '' Ir.*/. plimted in the middle of t;,.j belt fi-nti;:!..,' ;;n avarae. The Comliiiiff. :i .'!'!. w< i.'<icn# to trtike all the irtm' , '!-- "f tlis trees, but conditions wwt to he iini.'ostd lijwn us to Ih>wt it was r<> b! t! fi". -jiil up wcio not (Jlovvul to h-ave a s»ny in the matter. I refer to th-e idea of sutot of tho nipmberH of tho Plautins} Commilfoji (sf t-he Association, who held that the proper method of pkoiting was on the f;«)tp.itli, si» na to afford shade to pedestri'.n?f. They couki not cirry out these vi'iM, and, therefore, nothing was done dwijjg the. s«L.'«in. The result has been that ill' I'lmtint,' mitit stand over till next neavrin. Wo 'oald have on this season ivith Cn<* v.ork had «c been aJlJowed, os I hive almtdv explained, to do it in the way which we thought, wwild be the best."

The second gentleman e{K>ken to on the •."tlijfut Kii'i: —"ln all Hi« American cities tic* ])'anting in the streets and avenues is an tin , ("lire «f the wid* walk, no s* to give T! , .- trees aia never )>?;uited in the vfiitrv *if the road, Ikkmuk) tiiey would be tjsflw.-i thcTO f<ri , «ha<J-e purpows. What Vf MMnltnl to do to pUint ths trees on the South belt in tho smtkj wuy tJjat Uie «sp?rient.-t; of Arnc-rican and foreign cities h%» shown t;» l>? the bvet, hut- this we "were not ;il!ir.M>'l to do. I can't for a moment iWH-fivf- H'liv. To j>lant the trtea in the wntif , of a thoroughfare like the 3outh be!t, ■when , thwa i« nm;!i a Sarjjfo aiaonnt of traffic, m<i;ir:< tli; destruction of n, number of the trees. '1 hi« would not occur if they -were t.luntai an the fo'stpatli. as proposed by us. Again, the jiublic, for whose convenience the tresa iiru li) l>o ]i!ant<xl, a<part from ornaBienUil it'ii.sonM, do not g<» out into the midilli , of the xond, especially of the South belt, u> walk. As ye coiild not carry out fj«< i/'intin.: j:'s we desired, the mattei - waa aU(»w«*tl to drop for the present eeasor.. That is why nothing has been done."