THE PUBLIC GARDENS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12477, 12 April 1906, Page 6

THE PUBLIC GARDENS.

There is a good deal with which one om agree in the letter dealing *»*& the public gardens, which we publish in this issue. Something mere than plenty of drubs end flovrew and lawns U9 needed to popukriee such gardens; the people who would frequent them require a certain amount of the liberty that is associated with open spaces and pleasure grounds. This is especially the case children, who, as our correspondent points out, enjoy more liberty in the Dunedin gardens than in Christohurch, where anything but a sedate walk is apt to be discouraged by those in authority. In the southern city there ie certainly » refreshing absence of restrictive regulations; the children appear to be-able to play about anywhere and everywhere in tie gardens, and the shelter house, for refuge in case of sadden showers, is extremely useful, as well as being ornamental. The weekly performance by some one of the city bands in the bandstand in the gardens makes the latter the centre of attraction on "band nights"; &© traxa cars all bear notices...that, the perforaanoe will begin at a certain hour, end the time for closing the gardens, which are well lighted, is extended on those nighte until ten o'clock. The gardens* of oourso, benefit from the fact that they are on the main tram route that rune through the city. On the other hand, the Christehurch gardens are much closer to the centre, of the city than are those of Dunedin, and the Riccarton train passes within two or three hundred yards of the main entrance. We should like to see the Domain Board try the experiment of a few band conoerte in the summer afternoons and evenings, for nothing would < do more to induce the residents of the city to make better use of the gardens than they do now. Nothing is likely to be done in this direction in the coming summer, for the counter attraction of the Exhibition would be too strong to permit of the test being a. fair one. But in the following summer, when wo shell all be regretting the varied attractions of the Exhibition, which by that time will bave become merely a memory, the Domain Board might step into the breach with a eeriee of band concerts, for which,

as our correspondent points out, the gardens, axe much, better adapted than Victoria equare. The snore the' Board endeavours to make the gardens a really popular pleasure resort, the more support it is likely to reoeive from the contributing bediee.