COUNTRY LIFE

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 187, 4 July 1919, Page 3

COUNTRY LIFE

AND TOWN PLANNING

\ CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS

WELLINGTON, July 3. At the conference of local bodies and Chambers of Commerce of the Wellington province, a remit was adopted urging the subdivision of all big estcites, thus encouraging closer settlement, and that something be done -in the matter of preventing land aggregation. Another remit .udoptel was that, with a view of correcting the drift of rural population into cities and boroughs, and providing suitable dwellings for country workers, village settlements on modern townplanning lines be established (1) by joint action of local bodies, and (2) by, the provision of garden settlement companies on the lines of English gaiden suburb associations; that the Government be urged to import from either England' or America as early as possible an experienced townplanner to direct the movement throughout the Dominion; that the State arrange- to -finance town-plan-ning schemes, as is done in Great Britain; and that the Government be urged to pass a Town-planning Act. :

i The conference endorsed a remit j i urging State control of all living forests in the country, ■ the vigorous ; planting of selected Crown lands, and the practical stoppage of the ex- j portati,on of sawn timber from New" Zealand.

j ■ The following resolutions were carj ried : —' ', • That the conference affirms that it be an established" principle that a betterment-tax be put on all lands served by any railways or deviations of railways that may be built in the future.

j That the Government be asked to report on the, advisability of our exportable wool' being scoured before exportation.