COUNCIL'S PLANS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 123, 21 November 1945, Page 4

COUNCIL'S PLANS

SPRING CLEANING

WELLINGTON NEEDS IT

The generally favourable reception o£ the council's decision to erect the exhibition electric fountain at Oriental Bay was very pleasing, not only as it concerned the idea of the fountain idea, but as an indication that Wellington people were agreed that, with the war over, the time had come to brighten up the city—a move about which he was very keen, said Councillor R. L. Macalister, chairman of the reserves committee, to a "Post reporter today. Whether interest in the fountain project had anything to do with it, there was a record crowd at Oriental Bay on Sunday afternoon; the fountain was certainly a mam topic ot conversation. , ~ Wellington, he said, was badly _ m need of a spring cleaning and tidying up, and only the present shortage ot labour prevented it being done. This year the reserves department had some funds in hand, but could not get on with its plans; however, an improvement in the labour position was likely soon and a start would then be made. ■ "It will not be long before Wellington people will, be considering the question of what the city's war memorial should be," said Councillor Macalister. "There appears to be in the minds of most people today a firm, and, I think, right, idea that they do not want memorials of concrete or rranite. People undoubtedly want to see'something moi-e utilitarian and at the same time beautiful and of civic value. Suggestions have been made that the memorial should take the form of a tepid bath. Another project could well be the creation of a scenic drive from Wadestown along the crest of Tinakori Hills to Northland to open, to far more people than at present appreciate them, the beauties of the surroundings of Wellington. City." ROADSIDE IMPROVEMENT. ,

Councillor Macalister suggested that another improvement that could be made without any great expense would be removal of all hoardings from the Hutt Road and the planting of the hillside for its full length to Petone with trees and shrubs to give broad patches of colour. The Marine Drive, he said, was capable of much more than was obtained from it today; it needed a cleaning-up and he would like to see some planting done after the effective manner employed for some miles north and south of Wanganui, where the local authorities had made excellent use of odd corners by planting beds of roses and hydrangeas and in other lengths had planted coloured shrubs and such attractive trees as flowering gums and kowhais. Wellington- roadsides were marred by rock and clay scars, but he was satisfied that something could be done about that, and without much trouble. Christchurch had' had great success with mesembryanthemums in hiding scars behind a blaze of colour, and he thought that that should be tried here also. At the other end of the scale, Councillor Macalister mentioned that experiments were being made with plant destruction —a weed-killing truck which could go through the city, street by street, and wipe out weed growth at far less cost than grubbing, with more lasting results. Tar or oil spraying, as applied to country roadsides, could not be used in the city and the poison used would have to be applied in a manner that would not endanger animals.