TOWN-PLANNING AND TOWN-BUILDING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 205, 24 May 1919, Page 8

TOWN-PLANNING AND TOWN-BUILDING

Sir,—Just now there are a very large number of "town-planners" gathered 1 together in Wellington from all parts of Mew Zealand, and the newspapers are full of their speeches, wisdom, and sentiments. Kindly allow me to suggest that after this magnificent conference of town-planners havo said all that they say on town-planning, and retired from the brilliant limelight of publicity, a congress of town and city builders should lie held in this city,, and the snrao publicity given to their news and their practical work and experience in building towns and cities in New Zealand and Australia. There is a vast difference between town-planning and town-building. Anyone with a few 1 large sheets of paper and few lead pencils can plan magnificent cities and towns to suit all 6orts"'and : conditions of men, but to build them is another question altogether. Tho building of great cities ami towns by tho vhilo races in Australia and Now Zealand is fast becoming one of tho lost arts and sciences. The great "town-plannors" who have so far spoken rely entirely on the, Government or municipality to build their wonderful cities and towns that they talk so much about; but when the State or tlte city council oomee in at the door in this regard the oity and town bujldera with private enterprise fly ont through the windows.

Twenty years ago tho Federal Parliament'and Government of the Australian Commonwealth decided that they would build a great and magnificent capital city at Canbarra that would outshine all the great cities of ancient or modern times, and tHoy advertised in all the principal newspapers, of Europe and America for the most magnificent design plan and specification for their beautiful city to be. An American architect and his wife obtained the first prize, and wore .engaged by the federal Parliament at a princely salary to build tho great city, Manv millions of taxpayers' money havo been expended on file place, especially by the Labour Governments of Mr. Andrew Fisher aud Mr. King O'Malley, the Labour Minister of tho Interior. After about twenty years and the expenditure of millions of money .this great capital city of Australia has about the same population as Ifaiwarra or Johnsonvillo.

I understand that thoro is a great exhibition of town-planning to bo 6een at the Town Hall, but 'one of the most remarkable examples of town-building or town-planning that I know of is not to bo 6eon at tnat collection.' Nor has it over been mentioned or notioed by any of tlie town-planning delegates, and that is tlie beautiful high-lcvol suburb .of Kclburn. A few years ago this part of Wellington had not oven a name, and comprised soma of the roughest and most inaccessible land anywhere in this mountainous district surrounding Port Nicholson. Yet (ho company and their engineer, Mri '11.l 1 . Ward, who havo worked this really wonderful transformation, have never received tho slightest notice or credit for tha wonderful work they luive dona at Kelbum. It would have cost either tho Government or the City Council untold million'? of the taxpayers' money to do all'tho work that has been done in Kelburn.—l am, etc., ,T. Tl. COLLIER. Northland, May 21, 1919.