MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIII, Issue XVIII, 30 July 1912, Page 7

MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

DELEGATES ADDRESSED BY LORD

ISLINGTON

BY TELEGKAPJI —PRESS ASSOCIATION

WELLINGTON, July 30

Before the Municipal Conference opened to-day Lord Islington addressed the delegates in connection with the future of civic government, with special reference to the urgent necessity for introducing a system of town planning. He expressed the opinion that these New Zealand conferences should not be confined to routine work, and they would find it of tho utmost advantage to endeavor to obtain the last and best information on some of the scientific methods pertaining to municipal administration, and they should call into their counsels the best engineers, the best, architects, and the best scientific men. His Excellency strongly emphasised the importance of town planning, which had not accompanied the progress made by New Zealand in other directions. He referred to housing as the very foundation of the social future, and said, "Try to urbanise your rural districts, and try to ruralise your towns." He would like to see o-arden cities.

The Governor was frequent!v applauded, and was heartily thanked for his address.