BEAUTIFYING WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 150, 28 June 1938, Page 8

BEAUTIFYING WORK

MINISTER'S INTEREST CENTENNIAL PLANTING STATE SERVICE The keenness of the Government to help forward the functions of beautifying societies in any way practicable was emphasised last evening by the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry), who expressed to the annual meeting of the Wellington Beautifying Society his pleasure at the growing recognition of the public of the importance of saving the country's native bush and beautifying the city thoroughfares and the highways. The suggestion that trees be planted as memorials of the Coronation had been adopted throughout the Dominion, and the value of some similar form of commemoration of the Centennial in Wellington needed no stressing, said the Minister. He was pleased to say that the proposal had already caught the imagination of Centennial committees, local bodies, and other organisations in various parts of the Dominion, and definite schemes of planting were under consideration or were actually under way. Among many other places, Auckland would have a Centennial Avenue, planted with 2000 native trees and passing through the Auckland Domain, Hamilton had suggested a scheme for planting along the Hamil-ton-Cambridge highway, Matamata was advocating the planting of ten miles of the Burwood and Hinuera Roads, and a planting scheme in the Matamata Domain, Hawera had in view the planting of the highway between Hawera and Normanby, and Napier was considering planting certain roads and streets with exotic trees. WELLINGTON PLANTING. The Minister mentioned several trees and plants that would be useful in Wellington conditions, and quoted the following list of planting proposals put forward by the Wellington Beautifying Society, showing the localities, number of trees, the men employed, and the length of the work:—Cashmere Park, 50,000, 60, three months; Marine Drive, 5000, 12, six weeks; Hutt Road, 2000, 10, three months; Otari Plant Museum 200, 6, six weeks; BrooklynOhiro Road, 5000, 12, six weeks; Tinakori Hills, 2000, 20, six weeks; Seatoun, 1000, 12, six weeks; Mount Victoria, 500, 12, ,six weeks; Scorching Bay Road, 500, 12, six weeks; and Island Bay Road, 800, 12, six weeks. "To undertake that fine programme the society needs help from the public and all sources from which it can draw it," continued the Minister. "The Government will play its part in the work; it will supply the labour. The Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong), whom I have seen and with whom I have discussed the proposals, says he can make available men to do the clearing and planting as soon as the society is ready for the work to be done. "So far as the question of roadside planting on State 'highways is concerned, this is obviously a matter for the Government to undertake. The Departments directly concerned are the Highways Board (which brings a share of the matter under the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, and the Department of Internal Affairs. I am suggesting to Mr. Semple the appointment of a committee representative of these two Departments. That committee could formulate a definite and far-sighted policy for application throughout the country, In lieu of any haphazard methods." Speaking of the valuable work done by the beautifying conference held in Wellington, last year, Mr. Parry said he was hoping to be freed to call together shortly the interim committee of the National. Council for Conservation and Amenity Planting to deal with a number of matters and to set the organisation thoroughly in motion. There was scope for much work now in preparation for the Centennial. PUBLICITY OFFICER. A recent interesting development in the Government's work was the appointment of a propagandist, or publicity officer, for the Centennial work in. all its phases. The marj appointed was an. experienced journalist, who had had considerable experience in the handling of matters relating to reafforestation and public beautification schemes. Part of the officer's work would be in the direction of spread- ■ ing the value and advantages of tree preservation, reafforestation, and beautification. Next to carrying out prac- : tical work that branch of the activi- • ties of societies could not be over- • estimated. . The Minister quoted figures showing the increase in the areas reserved for scenery preservation, areas purchased for reserves, and the money made , -available for Domain Boards and , National Park Boards. The periods of comparison were the three years ended November 30, 1935, and the time the Labour Government has been in power.