CIVIC GOVERNMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1912, Page 6

CIVIC GOVERNMENT

A terse and vigorous speech by the Governor, a discouroe of common-sense, good counsel for the public, made memorable yesterday's meeting of the Municipal Conference. Lord Islington, free, above the noisy zone of party politics, "opened out" on civic government, and gave well-thought words to tho conference,, which was evidently a close listener. The text of the speaker's remarks was, in effect :— "Avoid haphazardnesß j plan for the future." He commended the suggestion of Wellington's Mayor, Mr. M'Laren, about the advisableness of naving papers by experts on special municipal subjects, for the enlightenment and guidance of local bodies, and to save for these instructive lectures gome of the time consumed on minor matters which could we.ll be left to a committee. .We have no doubt that the Municipal Association will accept this advice, and thus bring itself intelligently into line with Borne other New Zealand organisations, which have experts' papers as, a valuable feature of their periodical conferences. This method has long been in vogue in the United Stateß of America. When assemblies of municipal delegates are arranged there, all care is taken to have a good, comprehensive educational programme. Men of eminence in civic engineering, sanitation, street-cleaning, transportation, and so so, give lectures to help everybody who desires useful knowledge. Sometimes experts are brought across the Atlantic, and altogether every possible precaution is* taken to ensure a supply of the world's best information. The general scheme ot it has been set out' in The Post, especially last year, when we tried to persuade the Municipal Association to send a representative to a- very important American conference. If the association is wise, if it is economical, if it is eager for time- * saving and money-saving knowledge, it will not again neglect such a splendid opportunity. The glaring neglect of the one offered last year was a painful example of penny wisdom and pound foelishness. When Mr. T. M. Wilford returned from- England, via America, a few weeks ago, one of hia first remarks to the Wellington public was : "Sond your City Engineer to America." Yet the Municipal Association did not think it worth while to send a competent man to America at a time when he would come into contact with the huge country's best municipal experts. New Zealand has much to learn in business methods of civic government from other ■ countries, and the representatives of the paying public here should be keen to use any golden opportunity in the future to acquire a valuable store Of knowledge. The people had to suffer for the shortsightedness of men who failed to take advantage of the laßt large conference in America. On town-planning also the Governor was lucid, emphatic, and his words had a convincing ring. He spoke with a full mind, as one who had presided over the International Congress ou Housing and Town-planning, and he repeated the advice which he gave on that occasion : — "Try to urbanise your vural districts; try to ruralise your towns." Gently, too, but plainly, His Excellency reminded the public, as The Post has done many a time, that New Zealand, however much the country can claim to be v pioneer in some governmental fields, lags behind other countries in rational town-planning (which includes, of course, the improvement of towns already roughly laid out). "You' may say," he declared, "we are in a new country and without the problems oi the older coun tries. May I say that some of your larger townß are growing up in regaid to their suburbs in a somewhat indiscriminate fashion — in a fashion .which might be most materially improved if town-planning were established in New Zealand. Take time by the forelock, and free yourselves by prescience from the terrible problems and difficulties which beset and confront your colleagues in the oldet world." When a country is young is the time for planning, the time for avoiding haphazard muddlement which ultimately has to be corrected, as jar as it can be, -at heavy costi Non planning, the old stupid, lazy line of least resistance, the higgledy-piggledy day-to-day scheme, has beeh a veritable curse to some New Zealand communities. Public men, sparring about little things, petty affairs of superficial policy, innuendoes, insinuations, and the other •took things of party politics, have mostly not bothered their heads about rational, national town-planning, a Bane policy for the people of this generation and posterity. There are a few, and how ftt\v they do appear, and how lonely, when contrasted with the indifferent, thoughtless majority. We hope that the Government's promised Bill will help to rouse men who^e sluggiihness is »n mjurft to the public.