WELLINGTON'S OUTLOOK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 62, 11 September 1911, Page 6

WELLINGTON'S OUTLOOK.

Sit Jceeph Ward ahmwdly detMed no* t^> "9*&t" towii'pl&rmittg on his Budget prograjnme, probably not bscattso h* failed to perceive the import* Afie& of the subject, but becatuw thfe ftiatfc^ wtt« pamM after th« Fowlds incident We believe th*t th& Qovt»ni. roent* will do mow good than harm »y wattiag till the "public mind has a better appreciation of town-plarniteg, and in the meantime wise heads in &nd out of PariiAmeirt can wriafc in th» edttcatiofiftl Movement. Wellington offetß the best dfeizems an abundance of inducement for thought and action to pro* mott th« city's gtowth, on the most > convenieni? and most economical - lines, but there is yet no sign of definite «m--cenoerted action among thte vMion* authorities thafc hay« importanb powers tare. Supreme is the Gflvecnnwnt, a law unto itself, abova all by.liw. Tht> Government, fat example, » titttkr no binding obligation, except ens of moral fore*, to consult either th© Harbour IJcard or the City Council in the ar» tangements for the irew railway statioh. One may expect thai eommoiwenae will lead the Government to hay& full regard for J-he public requirements of the present and the future— indend the Ministor of Railways has promised that hi 1 * vision projects* at leatt twenty years*but very *ad and vei-y tr«tly experkfiw in this counbty has proved that commonsen&e ie'the last kind of sense employed in the prosecution of some public works. The Rimotaka incline is a notorious monument to a lack of eornmon&ensft in the past, and this country'^ railway system supplies other glaring example! ot similar folly, perpetrated long ago. Tens of thousands of pound* ate being spent ia cutting down grade* and ctirv<* and to thus put the rail* on a course which they should have taken at tow outset. Wellington's citizens ehotud kewily watch this railway station entetprise. It will bo a station to be used by people of all parts of New Zealand, but it will chiefly serve the people »jf this city and district. Another subject for study by the in habitants of Greater Wellington re the one recently brought forward by Coon* dllor Oodber. He advocates the appointment of a Congested Are*s Com* mittee to work out a s&heme to help the council to solve the problem t>f overcrowding. This proposal, briefly! discussed la#t .week, will be again de- ! bated by the City Council at its next! meeting. It Is understood, as The Vm'o indicated «ome ten days ago, that a thickly populated portion of Te Aro flat has been lately getting some pre« liminary attention, bitt it is Councillor Godber'e desire to" have the question studied" as a whole. In fact his recommendation amount* to a plea for a comprehensive town-planning fir townimprovement policy. He should have no difficulty in convincing the council thai *the appointment ef » special committet is obviously needed, The people, remetnbering the time taken for th* establish&ifctit o{ municipal abattoim and the delays with the municipal milkdepot psojett, need hay« no fear that the council will hastily alter the tendsca^e beyond recosnifcb&. Mttcn r« porting and much discussion, m»ch dfc» lay, will, precede the formulation 0! definite plane, and special legislation will no doubt bo jreqflired to enable the City Ccrttncil to carry out a beneficial town-ifli|irovenient policy. We Bhotild like to see tho question referred to a joint committee, comprising v&pr«sentatives of the Cft-y CotineH, tlic Harbour Board, and , adjacent local bodies, fn any cftsa tho drafting of a- report wottld have to be done by experts, but it would be well to have the whole of Greater Wellington and contiguous boroughs' interested in Councillor Godtor's propwaK