MEMORIAL TREES

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1920, Page 5

MEMORIAL TREES

ARE OAKS DESIRABLE?

THE BOROUGH SCHEME,

A FEW OBJECTIONS,

“In the interests of posterity” said a prominent townsman to a Greymouth Evening Star Reporter to-day, “I would like to urge strongly that the scheme of planting oak trees in High Street be abandoned.” He added that he had every sympathy with the proposal that the names of those who gave their lives in war, that we might live in. peace, should be constantly kept 'before our memory. But at the same time it appeared to him that more suitable means could have been found to express adequately our appreciation of, and gratitude to, our fallen heroes than by planting two rows of oak trees. For interest the idea of an obelisk appeared to him to be a suitable one.

“I would like to point out,” be continued that the young oak just rearing its head above the protection work is not only harmless but very pretty, whilst anyone who has ever strolled through Epping Forest will agree that giant oaks too form a mag-

nificent sight. At the same time with the boisterous westerly gales experienced in the district during several months of the year residents in the vicinity of the trees will certainly not admire the foresight of the City Fathers of 1920.

“As everyone knows the trees in years to come will retain a copious supply of moisture as the rain sweeps in fro'.n the sea, and will form a more or less continuous shower bath. The ground beneath the foliage will be a onagmire in wet weather.” He also pointed out that though the oaks in full leaf would certainly look most picturesque at a certain period of the year they must ql necessity shed their leaves and it would be then that t|ie residents would deem that the planting of the oaks was by no means an unmixed blessing. In windy weather they would be blown about; the streets would be littered and drains and spoutings blocked.