REST AN' BE THANKFU'

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 75, 29 March 1926, Page 10

REST AN' BE THANKFU'

SEATS WANTED FOR BEAUTY SPOTS

A SUGGESTION FROM THE MAYOR

Of all recent gifts to the city possibly none is more generally appreciated than the "Rest-an? be Thanfu'" seats given to Wellington by happy thought of the late Mr. John.Newton. His was a very fine gift, and .a greater gift, probably, than most'people realise, for it was of 250 seats, all of the substantial design, and built to give as much comfort as good hard, wood and harder cast iron can give. There are'twentyfive of these seats in each of the Miramar, Karori, and ■ Onslow districts, about the samo number in Oriental Bay (with enough put on one side to carry round to the kiosk, in uniform style when tne promenade is completed), ten in the Botanical Gardens, and ten in the Zoo, grounds, and the rest are divided up among various rest, places and public parks about the city and suburbs. ' . ' '

The Orphans' Club, in 1923, also made a substantial gift of seats to the city, the money which they collected to hand to the citizens through the council providing 78 seats. Apart from these two gifts Wellington people do not seem to nave thought of giving seats to the city, as is very often done in other centres, for quite a long spell of years, but there are in the Botanical. Gardens and in Newtown and Queen's Park some hardy old warriors of seats, the name-plates on which may recall—to those who can recall what happened so long ago— that members of the council and leading citizens presented seats in the '70's and '80s. These seats, for very many years ranged along the old Thorndon Esplanade, at one time "the" walk for all Wellington, but latterly Thorndon Esplanade has lost its charms,,what with railway smoke and dirt and the reclamation, scheme, and the seats were re.discovered by the reserves department and placed in other more popular localities. After fifty years of service^ they are not nearly as new as they used, to be, but they are good for more years of outdoor service yet.

STILL MORE SEATS REQUIRED. Wellington/can do with: still more seats, for there are hundreds of spots about the city where resting-places would be very welcome,, and the Mayer (Mr. C. B. Norwood) nas suggested that if a lead were given many citizens would gladly give one seat or more.

'' The best of our beauty spots are «n the hillsides," he remarked to a "Post" reporter to-day, "and one has to use a little effort to reach them. For young people that does not greatly matter, jut others like to rest awhile, and if seats can be placed here and there some of.the best of our walks, at present rather neglected, will be made more attractive to , Wellington people and visitors alike.

■ " Wellington can , find spots for five hundred more seats very easily, and every one of them would be thoroughly appreciated.^ There must be quite a number of our citizens.who would give one seat or more. There ia no reason why a neat nameplate should not be permanently attached stating the name of the donor, and if'there.should be a satisfactory response to' the.suggestion I. am making it. should be possible to obtain seats at a very .reasonable cost. "I shall be pleased*to hear from any citizen who feels inclined to endorse this suggestion: in a, practical way and to add to the pleasure of others he may know and of others again he may not know, as did the late Mr. John New s ton and the Orphans when they made their substantial gifts to the city some years ago."