The Ensign SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1919. TOWN PLANNING.

Mataura Ensign, 3 May 1919, Page 4

The Ensign SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1919. TOWN PLANNING.

| On May 19 a conference of represen- | uitives in local bodies will meet in | Vv cjliugtou to consider a scheme of [ i.ow'n planning. -New Zealand towns | h;uv ueen laid out for the most part j on a utilitarian plan. I he suburbs I luive just grown without any plan at ! all in most of tho towns and cities. I Band holders,- who had acquired farms n tfie early, -days of settlement, when t,im town increased in population, exit up their laud to stiir, themselves. We ijuve an excellent example of this in iho western suburbs of (lore. Any resident of the town, can see for liim■sfif what wo mean if he takes a walk to rough the streets of the 'sub-divisions ;o tlu; west ot .’.Broughton Street. He ad! .there sfv. that the landholders save cut: up their land without anv inought'm thoroughfares, much Jess'of •rcattiihg spaces,. ’Hardly a road or street This, an outlet at. the . ctifl. They run right rip to tho boundary of the land subdivided, and in some cases, there as a two-chain envision between xhc western boundary and die eastern boundary of the adjoining property at the time of the sub-divi-sion. For all time this will remain,a nuisance. to the public, unless the borough authorities step in and acquire , horougblarcs. No provision was taken i,v the various property-holders for c loss roads or .streets. These cross trouts would have enabled the public i,> travel through the suburb with ease. No olaino is attachable to those who field and subdivided the land. They were within their legal rights'to make die most of their laud, lint the State jaded in its duty in allowing this to bo done. Fortunately the law' has ’•pen altered, and now all roads and .-•iroots have to be passed by the local authority. But still there is much ro ho none! Mr Hurst-Seagcr, of Christi fnircli, who lias taken u great deal of -interest in, town planning, and represented the Tlominum at. the recent Australian Conference at Brisbane, delivered a lecture at Invercargill recently, when he went fully into the whole oucstion. Mr Hurst-Seager advocated garden towns and cities, and suggests mat wherever possible present towns should, be so altered as to make them ! 1 roe of possible slums. He believes * that if proper care were taken legavdi :ng the bousing problem ball our tabor difficulties would end. No man, be ; ,-ays can lie'expect ed to be a. good citixeii who lias not cheerful surroundmgs. To a very large extent ibis is uuo. There are exceptions to this as to every other proposal for upliftinghumanity. If a man takes an interest in ids homo lie can quickly make a garden, even under the most disadvantageous circumstances; but very few d) so ■■unfortunately. The chief object ni any scheme . for better bousing should be to make the occupier the owner of his home. Any scheme for town planning or for laying out garden cuies and towns should provide for the occupiers of the- homes becoming their owners in fee .simple as rapidly as cir- ; l cumstances will permit. The plans of seme of the garden suburbs at. Sydney ana Adelaide are very attractive, and Mr Seflgor placed pictures of - them on the screen to show Ids audience at Invercargill ■ what could be done... The voluminous report presented to the Minister of Internal Affairs by Mr Sager after his return from the conference. in An Stralia goes fully into all the questions pertaining to town planning. This report is of great interest, and should he studied by our city fathers'. So far as Core is concerned, there is much scope for town planning. In the direction we have already indicated improvements could easily and cheaply he made liy connecting ineonvenien'r. streets. But in other directions there is still more to he done, ('•ore is blessed with a magnificent highway in what is- called the main street. ‘ This is two chains wide, and should have a.i least one avenue of rices either right up the centre or at the sides. Perhaps it is too late to expect the borough to take up the jnet.ai in the centre and plant trees !mr. there is no reason why they should not plant trees at the shies. _ Attempts Pave been made at various rimes to do this; but they have mu been a great soecss, largely owing to the negligence o; citizens fn not. protecting their property. Mauv years ago trees were planted in this street, but they died, villi tho exceubViii of a few. One of these is at the Bank of Australia corner, and a very line tree it Is. Olliers are growing in places at the northern end of the street. A second attempt was made voars later, and a. row of trees planted at the south end ol the street, and another from Medwav Street ie the north. These are ;>-;-oTrins? v.xrv Veil. Thov slmnlrl, how-. ■ rer, bo bettor carod for, and any misses replanted. Our domains want

more attention also. Wo hare one that is a. prido-to the citizens, and a credit to Mr Newman, the corporation gardener, anci his assistants. But more of the domains should be laid out as beauty spots. Take tho domain in Last Gore, for example. Its position tends itself to 3 rfistic gardening. The Waikaka runs through it, and with very little effort one of the most l>eautiful garden's in the Dominion could he laid out. If it were made what it should he this domain would be a great attraction not only to visitors to our borough, but to the residents. At prostent.'there is a. row of huge trees on the north boundary, beside the railway lino, which effectively cuts it off from observation by travellers by train. Were these removed and others planted alortg the river or a more suitable variety, the frontage could -bo-laid out in a beautiful garden which would gladden the eye as the .traveller passed, and he a joy to tho townspeople. The Wellington on May ID may lead to town-planning conference to he-held in something practical being sketched out for tho Government’s guidance; hut each town can set its own domains in order, and we. strongly urge the Thorough Council to .make, a commencement at hast Gore tins winter. 11: will cost money, but it will be worth the expenditure.