TOWN PLANNING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1924, Page 7

TOWN PLANNING

EMPIRE CONFERENCE

HOMES IN THE DOMINIONS

CROWDING OF THE CITIES.

(DNITBD . PRESS . ASSOCIATION.—COFYKICHT.) (AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND : CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, sth May. The first of a series of important conferences to be held at the Empire Exhibition was opened. It was arranged by the Town-planning Institute, which has a striking exhibit in the Palace of Art. Mr. John Wheatley, Minister, '"pi. Health, attended, and declared that the time was ripe for legislative town-plan-•ning powers, in order to prevent the muddled development which people of the present day had inherited. He said he was not surprised to know that 80' per cent, of Britain's people lived in urban areas, but he was amazed to find that in Australia the percentage was 60, and in 'Canada 50. He announced that the Ministry of Health would give every encouragement to local authorities attempting town-planning. !•' Sir Joseph Cook, the Australian High Commissioner, presided in the afternoon over a discussion on town-planning in the Dominions and India. He pointed, out that town-planning was easier in the Dominions, with their wide spaces and cheaper land. Terraces of houses were almost unknown in Australia, where they believed in individualising homes as far as possible. _ It would be well if England could individualise workers' "houses mdre, for it would have a profound and far-reaching effect on the moral charactor pf the people. :-. ' ■:'. Papers^ were read dealing with the progress of town-planning in the various Dominions. Mr. W. E.; Davidge dealt with Australia and New Zealand, and paid a tribute to, the town-planning legislation passed in. South Australia, i He declared that in no country of the world had cities started under better conditions, with more liberal ideas, and'with more open spaces about the buildings, than in Australia and New Zealand. He thought the Australian Legislatures might usefully- devote a 'little time to controlling outdoor signs and--advertisements. A big; country .with a big. business really; did not need big advertisements. Despite all the vicissitudes of the war arid its aftermath, he hoped the Federal Government would insist on carrying out the Griffin :plan for the construction of Canberra, even .if the work occupied a generation. The early, difficulties /of Washington were even more serious than those Canberra had hitherto experienced. He believed that if the plan were carried out well, Canberra would be worthy of a great nation: ' •■■',.■-.■' .'