CITY BEAUTIFUL

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 6

CITY BEAUTIFUL

PLANTING OF TREES

MARKING THE CENTENARY

THE MARINE DRIVE

Some thirty members of the Wei

lington Beautifying Society attended its first annual meeting last night. Captain S. Holni, the president, was in the chair.

Other cities had proclaimed themselves garden cities, said the chairman. While Wellington had greater scenic possibilities than almost any other town in New Zealand, less had been done in the past than in other centres by its inhabitants to beautify its rugged grandeur. During the past few years the reserves department had certainly done splendid work. He envisioned the surrounding hills clothed in native trees, the Hutt Road lined With avenues of pohutukawas, with clumps of kowhai and flowering shrubs in the valleys, lawns surrounding civic and public buildings, avenues | of tress in all roads wide enough for them, and the city with most of its fences removed. While he had every admiration lor workers who took city children to health camps, he believed that bringing health in the shape of trees to city children was also a beneficial work. The New Zealand Centenary was approaching, and Wellington should look its best. The society would do

its best to achieve that desirable end, and asked lor support.

Mr. W. S. Wilson agreed that most fences were unnecessary. A start could be made with the Parliament and Government buildings. HOARDINGS. Mrs. Knox Gilmer mentioned the number of hoardings going-up along the Hutt Road and all over the countryside, and recalled that Lord Bledisloe, in 1932, speaking in the Town Hall, mentioned that he had had conferences with the different oil companies about the hoardings, and said that after negotiations which he had been carrying on for eighteen months he was able to announce that these disfigurements were about to be eliminated, and that one company had agreed to remove them all over the country, and other oil companies had agreed to follow its example, with the exception of certain contracts which could not be cancelled. Were these companies now carrying out their promises? Apparently they were not. It was decided by the 'meeting that this question should be taken up by the executive.

TREES OR PLAYING GROUNDS? Councillor J. Burns, chairman of the reserves committee, said that if a little more support to the society could be secured by annual subscription there would be little need to worry over finance. SUch bodies were useful in giving advice to councillors. He spoke of the attempt that was being made to nullify the effect of the notice given to occupiers of baches and houses at Scorching Bay, and sought the support of the society for the council in its action, as there was no more suitable spot to beautify than Scorching Bay. The City Council had supported kindred bodies in finance or in kind, but he pointed out that with the case of reserves the first, cost was not the last, as the question of maintenance and added, facilities kept cropping up. If the society made application for assistance it should be to" the council and not to the reserves committee. The council had done a good deal of beautifying, had planted many thousands of pdhutukawas and native trees, but it had to decide whether il was better to spend £2000 on a ground for young people or in beautification. There were not enough playing grounds as it was. The reserves committee and the City Council were entirely in sympathy with the society, which he hoped would work in cooperation with these bodies. Mrs. Knox Gilmer mentioned the effect of the old pines on Mount Victoria, which were taking the moisture away from the pohutukawas. Councillor Burns said that he had discussed this matter with the Director of Parks, and that these old pines would be thinned out.

SOCIETY'S PROPER WORK. Mr. G. G. Watson spoke of the plant- - ings already accomplished by the society. Wellington was one of the most beautiful cities in Australasia, in its natural settings. Melbourne, lying on an unattractive flat, had been made the garden city of Australia, and some of its most attractive tree-lined drives were due to the work of a society such as theirs. That and the drives round the Yarra were examples of what could ibe done in this way with the local 'marine drives." Wellington should do something to restore the natural beauties of which it had been robbed. The work of a beautifying society should consist in (1) the planting and cultivation of trees, plants, and shrubs; (2) the promotion of similar activities by the Government and local authorities; (3) the prevention of the destruction of either native or exotic vegetation; (4) the encouragement and promotion of national sentiment for that which was beautiful in the country. Why should they not devote themselves to the planting of the Marine Drive, have it ready in time, and call it "Centenary Drive?" asked Mr. Watson. The work could be started at onfce. There was, of course, the question of what to plant. Karakas and lacebarks would flourish, and in certain places, if sheltered, rimus and totaras would grow, but only slowly. Why not have some exotics, the horticultural gems of other countries? New Zealand natives were beautiful in their way, but they were somewhat sombre, and did not flower freely; other countries could provide an enormous variety of flowering shrubs and trees. Why should they not plant a group of exotics in one place? There were 150 varieties of acacia in Australia, fifty of. which at least were hardy. Some had merely pin-point flowers, but others had glowing balls of gold, and others long yellow racemes of bloom. Apart from the acacias there were flowering cherries, and of larger trees Lombardy poplars, with fine autumn tints, cuttings of one of which would forest a province. Then there were the maples from Japan, and many other exotic trees, and a number of exotic berry-bearing shrubs and trees for the birds,. as well as the tawas, flax, and other native trees and shrubs which would bring the pigeons and tuis back again. He suggested that the largely barren and wood-infested hills on the eastern side of the Hutt Valley could be planted in pines, which would eventually bring in either the Government, or both Government and owners, revenue.

SOUTHERLY GALES. | The reason why exotics had not been planted on the Marine Drive, said Mrs. Knox Gilmer, was that they were deciduous and the young buds would blacken in the southerly gales. The eastern Hutt hills could bo replanted with the original New Zealand beech, instead of pines. It was pointed out. that the maintenance of the younfi trees planted necessitated clearing round them twicc

a year, and the raising of funds for this purpose was referred to the executive for consideration.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patroness, Mrs. Knox Gilmer; president, Captain S. Holm; vicepresidents, Lady Myers, Sir George Shirtcliffe, Sir James Grose, and Messrs. B. Sutherland, F. W. Dawson. L. O. H. Tripp, and S. Blackley; committee, Mrs. A. J. du Pont, Mrs. Charles Haines, Mr. David Bowie, Mr. A. de Bath Brandon, jun., Mr. T. G. Coveney, Mr. H. L. Cummings, Mr. H. S B. Fletcher, Mr. D. Grocott, Mr. R. L Macalister, Mr. J. W. Mathews, Mr. 1 William Murie, Mr. W. L. Palmer, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, and Mr. G. F. Penlington; auditor, Mr. S. M. Hobbs. The following were elected associate members of the committee:—Johnsonville Town Board, Rev. S. H. D. Perryman; Association of New Zealand Advertisers, Mr. G. E. Beckett; New Zealand Alpine and Rock Garden Society, Mr. E. Hutt; New Zealand Forest and Bird Protection Society, Dr. E. G. Morice; Wadestown Cottage Garden Society, Mr. F. T. Clere; Petone Beautifying and Foreshore Improvement Society, Councillor London; Makara County Council, Mr. R. G. Mexted; Wellington South Horticultural Society, Mrs. C. E. McLean; Wellington Harbour Board, Mr. A. G. Barnett and Mr. Andrew Fletcher; Hutt County Council, Mr. D. R. Hoggard; Hutt Valley Horticultural Society, Jflr. W. H. Wilson- New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Mr. W. * S. Mason; Wellington Automobile Association, Mr. A. J. Toogood; Northland Horticulture Society, Mr H. J. Atkinson; Brooklyn Electors' Association, Dr. Bertram.Wright; Technical Adviser, Mr. J. G. MacKenzie; Pioneer Club, Mrs. A. R. Gower; Lands Department, Mr. R. W. Cooper; Island Bay Electors' Association, Mr. N. Key and Mr. Stuart Nelson; Returned Soldiers' Association, Captain R. McQuarrie.