DISFIGURING THE HIGHWAYS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 150, 21 March 1925, Page 8

DISFIGURING THE HIGHWAYS

ADVERTISEMENT HOARDINGS AN EYESORE CASE OF THE HUTT ROAD DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

The proposed scheme of the Public- ' itv Department of the New Zealand railways to erect advertisements along the railway track bordering the Hutt road has aroused some feeling locally on the grounds that not only will the advertisements be a disfiguring feature on the landscape, but that they will obscure the view of the harbour to both motorists and pedestrians using the highway. This feeling developed into a concrete protest yesterday afternoon, when a deputation representative of the City Council, the Civic League, the Wellington Automobile Club, and the Wellington Motor Cycle Club, waited upon the Minister of Railways (the Hon. J. G. Coates), and appealed to him to prevent such a scheme from being carried into effect

The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.), who introduced the deputation, said they wished to bring under the Minister’s notice the fact that the Publicity Department of the railways had entered upon a scheme of advertising the goods of various tradespeople alongside the railway line between the city and Petone. They quite recognised that the Department was justified in doing everything it could to increase its revenue, and undoubtedly the proceeds from advertisements along the railway line, if allowed to continue, would amount to a considerable sum. They desired, however, to submit the view whether it was worth while for.the Department to disfigure the Hutt road more than was already the case by the hoardings which were already there. The city was endeavouring to carry out a good road scheme, and part of it had been carried out as far as Petone. This would be continued as far as Upper Hutt and round to Oriental Bay and Seatoun, and when the scheme was completed Wellington would have cne of the finest marine drives in the world.

Obstructing the View. Mr. Coates: You do not infer that any of these hoardings interfere with the view of people .travelling by train ? Mr. Wright: No, but it will prevent people travelling along the road getting a view of the harbour. The Hutt Road, continued the Mayor, was under the charge of the council, but the advertisements- bordering it were on private property, and at present the council had no power to deal with that land The Government, he said, had a department trying to attract people to New Zealand, and he considered that if the Hutt Road was going to be used in that way the beauty of the thoroughfare and its environment would be spoilt for those persons who came here, and he appealed to the Minister to prevent this disfigurement. , Mr. E. W. Hunt, president of the New Zealand Society of Pine Arts, Mi. Stott, secretary of the Wellington Automobile Club, Mr. McKean, M.P., Mr. C. AV. Tanner, president of the Wellington Motor Cycle Club, and Mr. D. McLaren, ot the Wellington Civic League, also addressed the Minister on the subject. Mr. Jones, of the Railway Board, remarked that the city authorities ■ permitted hoarding advertisements to be displayed on municipal land fol which payment was received. Sir. Coates: Yes, the council might well clear up its own bouse before coming to the Department. Mr. Jones said it would not be possible to put advertisements along the road between the railway lines and the road as they would be too near the, track.

A Question of Policy.

Mr. Wright, replying to the Minister’s remark about the council, said it was an ingenious way to evade the real issue. None of the advertisements, said the AlayorJ” which the council had permitted to be erected on their ground interfered with any beautiful views. The city hoardings were all in obscure •places. Mr. Coates, in reply, thought it was quite fair when he was beseiged by such influential bodies as made up that deputation, to refer to what the City Council should do “in clearing up their own mess” before coming and pointing out to him what he should do. He said Ahat with all due respect to the Mayer and the members of the council. It was, however, a matter after all for general policy as to how far the Department proceeded with a hoarding scheme when it was likely to interfere with the natural beauty of any place. He fully recognised the force of their remarks, and as far as the harbour was concerned he readily admitted that it was one of the most beautiful harbours in New Zealand.

The policy of the Department, proceeded Mr. Coates, was to make money, but the deputation could take it for granted that the Department was not' desirous of offending the people of Wellington or anybody else. “We want them to say u good word about us, and to help us,” said the Minister. The revenue to the Department through advertising was about £20,000 a year, and it looked like going up to £lOO.OOO per annum. The more monev they could earn the more they could give back in the way of services and height . rates, and that was their object. Neither did the Department desire to offend pedestrians or motorists, “but the people who travel by the railway enjoy an unobstructed view of the sea and harbour,” added the Minister, whimsically, “although that is not the case with those who travel by our competitors.” He promised the deputation to go into the question and consider the matter, and formally reply to them later.