CITY RESERVES AND GARDENS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 69, 21 March 1918, Page 6

CITY RESERVES AND GARDENS

Within the past few years excellent development work has been done upon the city reserves; parks have been added and numerous little corners have been beautified. Existing parks and gardens have also been kept up to standard, and the reafforestation of the hills has gone forward steadily if slowly. With what Bas been done citizens have every reason for satisfaction, though whether the future will show that there have been errors in the general plan is another question. Without a comprehensive scheme fpr the use and development of the reserves it would be strange indeed if such errors were wholly avoided. Lately, also, there has been in operation a- system of administration which under other than existing circumstances would almost certainly add to the possibility of error.. We refer to the system of divided control. At one time the Superintendent of Reserves had all city parks, playing grounds, gardens, cemeteries, and reserves under his control; but gradually different departments hava been created, the head of each being responsible only to the elected authority. It is not suggested that this system has been responsible for waste or misdirection of effort, but that it has not is probably due to the fact that Councillor Frost, as Chairman of the Reserves Committee, has himself taken care to co-ordinate the various operations. In the future there may'not always be a chairman who will be able and willing to give the same time and attention to this work, and the result may be overlapping, extravagance, and entanglement.

Now that the ; former Superintendent of Reserves is retiring, the time is opportune to consider how administrative methods may be remodelled. On all grounds it would be wise to concentrate the work of superintendence} The head of each department may yet be left with sufficient power in his hands to ensure the best 'use of his expert knowledge, but at the. same time a superintendent will be able to see that labour is used to the best advantage, that money is spent where it is most needed, and generally .that development works) keep pace with the growing needs of the city. Under divided control there is no guarantee of the economical us© of labour, no certainty of one department being neglected at the expense of another the head of which may be able to press his case better upon the committee, and it is practically certain that development will not be as sure or as satisfactory with no continuity of an officer who should be solely responsible for the maintenance of uniformity. Such a superintendent would not usurp the authority of the council or the committee, but his advice would avoid the chance of constant changes in the scheme of work. A man possessed of administrative ability should be selected for the office, and it would not be extravagance to make the position attractive to the tight man. To obtain, such a man, expertin all reserves work, may not be possible, but expert' knowledge in all departments is not necessary. Details may well be' left to the overseers of each section. Further, in the drawing up of a general plan the council might well avail itself of the assistance of specially qualified citizens, who would, no doubt, be only too willing to give advice voluntarily if called upon. The creation of a special committee ,of such men would quicken interest in city beautification and be a further guarantee of a sure foundation for future developments. The terms of its association with the Reserves Committee would be clear, and there would be no division of authority; only cooperation, for that such is possible is demonstrated by the work of the Rose and Carnation Club at the Zoo. rose garden. Though work on the' reserves does not receive great importance from the civic welfare viewpoint, even viewed in the financial aspect it is not the least of city activities. The reserves expenditure now exceeds £10,000 annually, and" no effort should be spared to- »9© the v money i» , well spent.