OPINIONS DIFFER

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 129, 28 November 1945, Page 9

OPINIONS DIFFER

FOUNTAIN IN THE BAY

BAND SHELL PROPOSAL

The continuing interest on the proposal to.re-erect the Centennial Exhibition electric fountain, at present stored at the Corporation depot in Clyde Quay offshore in Oriental Bay is shown by further correspondence, but the writers are by no means agreed upon the virtues of the City Council s tentative plan. Mr. H. Gladstone Hill, one ot the most enthusiastic of the supporters, has written further to the Mayor (Mr Appleton) apologising for appearing to have stolen Mr Edmund Anscombes suggestion that a inure elaborate scheme, including a band-shell, should be undertaken as Wellington's war memorial, and explaining that he had not known of Mr Anscombe's earlier plan as lie was absent from Wellington when it was made known pub licly.

"May l ask. Mr Mayor, what nas oeen done regarding Mr Anscombe's plan?'' continued Mr Gladstone Hill "1 have studied this plan from many angles; from that of a bandsman it is a dream of {leaven on earth! It ts nearly forty years since i came to live in Wellington and joined the old Wellington Garrison Band Since that time I've piaved. conducted, and organised individual and concerted band efforts, and was president of the Wellington Bands Association for two years. It is a fair assumption, therefore, that 1 know something of conditions in Wellington, to say nothing ot overseas, and over five years as director of music with the R.N.Z.A.F Band These things I merely mention to show that one has certain experience perhaps not shared by many who would criticise-

"With .this background. 1 say unhesitatingly that lhe thousands of bandsmen witli" whom i have been associated during those years have given more of their time to the public than any other section in the community In' return what have they received? Conditions are much the same a.s they were forty years ago. "Look at Sunday last, Mr. Mayor! What a shocking advertisement for the Capital City! The band from the American cruiser could not play on the so-called bandstand in Oriental Bay but had to go into a hole in the wall to try and get away from the wind! Thousands of people could have heard the visitors, under excellent conditions if some such scheme as outlined by Mr. Anscombe had been in operation at Oricntal'Bay Wind there will always be in Wellington, and surely we should make provision to meet this condition of affairs."

"We all know that millions ot pounds can be found tor destructive purposes in war, yet how difficult it is to get a i'ew pounds for the works of peace. Mr. Gladstone Mill wrote later in bis letter to Mr Appleton. "Let us make this scheme a real victory memorial, not a thing of concrete which has no meaning to such a large section of the community, but something vital, something that'will be utilised in the public good every day of the week. With the Hall of Honour at the rear of the sound shell, as provided by Mr. Anscombe. what a memorial that would be!

"1 am so enthusiastic at the possibilities Mr Anscombe's scheme unfoldthat I offer my services in any capacity you may wish, to address meetings ol citizens' or any other duty that will be the means of bringing this scheme to fruition."

NO ENTHUSIASM

Mr. Mark Levy is not enthusiastic, lie writes:

As described in your paper, the scheme to erect the eleelnc fountain m Oriental Bay is likely to create some adverse criticism. If the fountain, whicli is not of outstanding dimensions, is erected at a distance of Li2o or -WO yards oifshore, the display in such a vast and exposed area would, both day and night, be trivial. 1 tear that the result would not warrant the high cost of erection oy.limafod at. .i_KK)O> and upkeep.

The City Engineer stale.-; that the fountain might have to be ~daptod to a cascade. If that should be so. the attractiveness el" (lie display would bo greatly lessened. The fountain could have found a favourable position if it had been incorporated in the plan for our civic square now under construction. Unfortunately the size of that open area as first proposed by the Wellington Beautifying Society has been so whittled down by the City Council that the disposal there of the fountain seems now out of question

I make the suggestion that it be retained there until such time as a suitable position can be found or made tor it in the Botanical Gardens or in one of our parks, where it could be erected with a suitable water surround, and. failing that, the contemplated erection in Oriental Bay could be postponed until the projected boating and swimming area there is constructed

GILDING THE LILY. "Buchan" thinks that the beauty of the bay needs no adornment.

Do you not think that in its natural beautiful setting and its uniqueness, in that if is so closely situated to the centre of the city Oriental Bay is complete in that naturalness in itscf without being cluttered up with some artificial adornment? Do you not think that it is childish to be always wanting to disfigure the sweep and vista of the great little bay? Now we have an individual with ideas about putting a wharf in it with a rotund;! on the end of it. Cannot we get away from early Victorian era ideas? Then we had somebody else who wanted to heap masses of concrete into it. This bad a touch of Hollywood artificiality about it. One was reassured about this hitter, however, by the negative tone of your correspondent al that lime Hands otf the bay should be the watcn word.