ITS MAIN FEATURES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1911, Page 12

ITS MAIN FEATURES.

THE CITY OF THE SQUARE. SOME IMPRESSIONS. (By a Candid Visitor.) What is it about Palmcrston North that impresses the visitor most? What is the aspect of the town that keeps it in his memory? For every man always recalls a place by some feature or other. Of Wellington, for instance, it may be tho _ wind. At least that is what the, denizens of that narrow neck of land between Manukau and Waitemata harbours profess to find the most impressivo in the attributes — if it really is an attribute — of tho Empire City. Similarly a visitor to the Queen City of the north might take away a lingering memory, say, of its trams. It all doponds on the , person and the point of view. The busy streets of Wellington might appear to tho placid pedestrian • from the City of the Plains the outstand-' ing characteristic; or, another visitor might be struck with our wharves, or with our hills, or our harbour. Oddly enough, it is the destructor chimney that above all other things brings back Wellington to at least one man. WHY NOT DROP THE NORTH" ? But what is it that strikes you most about Palmerston North? — I wish they would drop that "North," that degrading explanatory affix put there by the postal authorities, because there hap- 1 pens to ue a township of the same surname in tbe South Island. Why not call, one Palmerston Senior and the other Palmerston Junior? I boliovo it is all a matter of age. Palmorafcon South came on the map a little earlier, but Palmerston North soon outstripped its elder brother, and now, for all most people' care, there is only o»e Palmerston, and that is the city of the Manawatu the city— for is it not a city? (being "the Chicago of New Zealand")— the city of which I write. Personally, I don't agree with this "Chicago of New Zealand" business, this "Liverpool of the South," this r 'New Zealand Rhine"— like poor relations hanging on to the wealthy — or the man who is "well-con-nected at Home," and trades on' the fact or the assertion. New Zealand is grown-up now, and can stand on her own merits. "Made in New Zealand," "Grown in Now Zealand," "Born in Now Zealand" should be our trademarks and hall-marks, too. Wo should be proud of them. There is no more need to call Palmerston "the Chicngo of Now Zealand " than there is to stamp a. Pirns name on a Christohurch boot. But what is it that to you typifies Palmereton North? ' PALMERSTON'S PIUDE. Give a I'almen.tonian two guesses. If it in not the Winter Show, i|, is (he S<juai'i>, iind. conversely, if it is not the Square, it is the Winter Show. Now. that same Pulmerstonian, proud oi! hie institutions, would probably be vis;ht in tho majority of instannw. "What do you Dunk of tlio Square?" comes us natural to a PalniPrston pal riot us "What do you think of the harbour?" to the citizen of Sydney or the avid Auckkndpr. And wheu the hackbldcks farmer returns homo from the Show to his biibh suction, lie is sure to be asked,

"Did you see the Square?" Of course, jhe did ; he spent a whole morning walking round it, and he can well describe ittj magnificent spaciousness to his less fortunate stay-at-home chums. Shall 1 describe it here? Surely it is too welt known. Palmerston would not he Palmerston without the Square. It is one of the ■nonderh of New Zealand. I doubt whether Australia, or America even, can show tho like. One must Kiy something of the Square. MAGNIFICENT BUT ! Everybody has seen tho Square. There is no need even to stop in Palmerston to see it, though to see it properly one had better spend a day there. Bui even the expresses on the 'railway, which bisects the Square, take such a time to cross from one side to the other — it is so vast —that it is. quite possible- to get a fair idea of Palmerston's pride en route. But to realise its greatuess adequately one must walk round it and survey it from different standpoints. It i& indeed magnificent. To step it briskly down one side is enough for a constitutional ; to circumnavigate it — if one can use this term of a square — though one has heard of- squaring the circle^ — is to appreciate the demand in Palmerston for electric tramcars. What the area of the Square is I cannot say, because I don't know ; but it seems at first sight to comprise quite enough land for a small farm. If Palmerston were ever besieged, the beleaguered burghers would never need to go short of fresh vegetables. The Square would, indeed be a valuable asset of the first magnitude. At present it is earnest of Palmerston's faith in its future. It is yearly becoming more and more prepossessing. The four Square gardens, each with characteristics of its own, one with a pretty lakelet and rustic bridge, another with a piece of statuary, a third with a fountain, two with venerable cannon substantially mounted, and all with nice M r avy footpaths, green sward, and comfortable seats — these gardens ot the Square are one of the pleasantes'i, things about Palmerston North to-day. There are many points in favour of having a great public garden in ths centia of a city, and fifty years hence, when Palmerston North has its hundred thousand inhabitants, the citizens oi no . mean city will have cause to thank th 6 large-minded foresight of the founders of the capital of the Manawatu. If at present the Square rather dwarfs its surrounding architecture, that contrast is only a passing phase. The skyscraper of the future will not find the Square too big. THE SHOWS. Other features of Palmerston will impress other people. Some will always picture Palmerston at show time, either in the spring with thousands thronging the showgrounds, admiring sheep and Cattle and horoe, watching the equestrian feats of the cavaliers in the ring, or perhaps wandering among the clamant attractions of Sideshowville.' Or at the present fthow it is the great display of machinery as applied to agriculture

and its various branches and side industries. These aspects of Palmerston receive full description at show time. In general it may be said that neither Palmerston nor its shows have anything to count, a grievance in the matter of publicity. THE BUSY RAILWAY STATION. Its busy railway station is another inseparable characteristic of the capital of the Manawatu. Over fifty trains a day pass in and out of it A and shunting 3eems to go on through the whole twen-ty-four hours. Trains oi carriages and trucks back into the square, and occasionally obstruct traffic, and the whistle and rumble nf the locomotive with it» freight is part and parcel of Palmerston life. The station, is not beautiful. It is not oven convenient. There is only one through platform, and a train coming in has often to pass round another already standing there: But it docs the business. No station in the Dominion conveys such a deep impression of busstlo and hurry. , When the Main Trunk expresses come * in from either north or south, as they 'do of an- afternoon, it is practically impossible to get along the platform at any speed for the crowds. Should you rush in -Haste, you will almost infallibly' precipitate yourself over a porter's luggage trolley, 'ploughing its •way through the throng, like a cowcatcher among a mob of sheep. t It is always best to proceed wiljh caution along the platform of Palmerston station any old time when the expresses or the mails are in. Naturally, under the irritation of anxious enquiries by worrying passengeis, tho railway officials at this, busy centre have much ado to observe that politeness to the public enjoined in t the regulations of the service. But they do very well. HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. It is .not the railway station, or the Square, or the shows that impress you* most, perhaps, it' is the broad streets. These are, on a .scale proportionate to the Square. They are great, widethoroughfares, in one or two cases rapidly taking on tho appearance of boulevards iv the shade of their growing avenues of trees. Palmerston could, indeed, do with more trees. It is rather bare as yet, but every year adds to the leafage, lta beautifying committee or society might well go nap on tree-plant-ing and make Arbor day a day of days for Palmerßton. Ohristchurch is much to bo envied and emulated in this, rosped. "Plant a tree" should undoubtedly be the motto of good Palmeretonians. Out of the bush their city came in" all its early homeliness. Let it return and become a true Garden City— a city of gardens, shady avenues, and pleatant resort's. Down in Palmcrston's "West End," towards the viver from the Square, are many such delightful placeß. Here are narrower streets nnd roads fringed with high pines and gums with, picturesque mnn&ions jvepmg out of beautiful gardens 1 . Tho visitor who keeps to tho Square ami m-vir takes a »troll clown these leafy uickl: 1 .,, to my mind, mißses really tlu> be-4 <>t Palinerston. It is not grandirpe, liko the Square, but it has a natural charm all its own. To look down on" of th.> > deep-cut lanes — they can hardly be willed Hticets or roads alon;:mlo tho nuun thoronghfaicft of the town — is to uijoy the cxquUite joy of the lon» \ t.nv. Straight they run for miles and miles with tbeiv plantation walls on oil her side, to that tho vignetto nrf blup lulls in the far dist'ane© is as a glimpse

The above building was designed by Mr. F. do J. Clcro, Architect, Wellington, and ciectod by Mosaic. SolliLt Bros., Ltd. (tho well-known Palmerston North contractois), for the Palmcrston North High School Board of Governors. The contract was lot on the lGth August. 1910, and it was out of the contractors' hands on the 21^ February, 1911, which, considering tho work entailed in a building of this dOsciiption, was an excellent performance. The dimensions of the building are 146 ft. x 89ft.> the outside walls are of picked bricks, neatly finished oft with tuck pointing, and the loofs are of corrugated iron, painted a dark green. ' The woodwork inside is of tho best heart of rimu (which came from Messrs. Sollitt Bros.' sawmill at Ohakune). All tho classrooms are fitted up with the necessary cupboards, etc., that are required in a school of this description. Besides tho classrooms, there is a large assembly hall, laboratory, and library, making one of the best-equipped schools in the North Island. On going through the school, one cannot help noticing the very fine workmanship the contractors have put into this building. Tho painb'ng and inside decorations were done under sub-contract by Messrs. Osgood and Hancock, of Palmerston North.

through a telescope. And when to the south west the sun sets, the scene is gloriouw. There are no hills to end the view. The long perspective meltsi into the splendours of fiery cloud and ruddy sky— such a sunset as one only sees over plain land. It is as a city of beautiful residences-, of leafy avenues, lovely gardens, and, above all, the long view that I admire Palmerston. Others, can have tho Square, the shows, the station, the sfe-eets, and the sixteen hotels with 11 o'clock closing. Give me the view down Park-street ol an autumn evening. I km. content.

lamps, numbering now 290, are incaudescent. The works have been practically rebuilt during the past ten years. They consist of a now coalshed, retorthoube, eight regenerator Bettings of retorts, purifiers, and a large gasholder with a capacity of 135.000 cubic feet. Miles of street mains have been laid. Ihe company erected up-to-date offices and showrooms in Broad-street about three years ago. The price of iras in 1888 was l?s 6d per 1000 cubic feet. At present gas for power is sold at 6s 8d per 1000 ft and if over 10,000 cubic feet per month is used, the price is 5a lOdj if over 30,000 cubic feet, 5s 6d net.

and privately. Though the majority of citizens would prefer that the gasworks should be in the hands of the municipality, yet it cannot be said that the private company owning the works has failed to keep its agreement with tho Borough Council. A brief history ot the gasworks is, therefore, not out of place in a general discription of the borough. Gas was first used in Palmerston North in the beginning of 1888, some 23 years ago. The works were opened by the lato Mr. M' Arthur, M.H.H., having been erected" by Mr. Boundry for Msesrs. Swinburne and Coatee. It is interesting in this connection to know that Mr. Swinburne is now Minister- for Agriculture in the Victorian Cabinet, and at the same time chairman of the Melbourne Gas Company, while Mr. Coates is president of the Ottawa Gas Company, that holds the franchise for the lighting of the capital city of Canada. The first secretary was Mr. Reitch, who in 1892 was succeeded by Mr. Truebridge. This gentleman held office until 1900. Many additions to the gasworks were cariied out under Mr. Dunnerdiile, the first manager. A second gasholder 'was erected in 1893. Mr. Dunnerdale resigned in 1898, owing to ill-health, and Went to Albany, West Australia, where shortly afterwards he- died. The' present manager, Mr. M. J. Kennedy, took charge on tho Ist January, 1899, and was appointed to the dual position of manager and secretary in the following year. The first chairman was tho 'late Hon. Robert _ JPharasyn, who acted until his' death in 1896. The sc-ond chairman was' the Hon. Dr. Collins, who resigned in 1903, and was succeeded by Mr. A. Strang. In 1906 Mr. Strung was succeeded by Mr. E. N. Barraud. The present chairman is Mr. J. 11. P. Strang. T)ir Hon. Dr. Collins is tho only director who held office during tho whole of the company's existence. In 1899 incandescent street-lighting was introduced, Palmerston North being the first town in the colony to adopt the system. Tho whole _of the street