SOME SUGGESTED AUCKLAND IMPROVEMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11711, 22 July 1901, Page 3

SOME SUGGESTED AUCKLAND IMPROVEMENTS.

' .y [by CITOYEN.J Now that citizens have the loan proposal before them, the time is opportune for the consideration of Auckland's immediate requirements, and. also of plans "which may be realised in the future. * With regard to the town Lill,: the" site at the foot of Grey-street should «.ertainly be the best in the city; -but of cour.ie .this might necessitate the acquisition of some adjoining land, as the land at presett owned by the Council is too small. Could not the town hall be fitted tip as an up-to-date Opera House? This is a, thing much needed in Auckland, and would at all eve its return some revenue, while a town hall pure and simple would be a dead loss. The land in Wellesley-street is urgently required for a building in which our treasures now in the library, art gallery, and museum, can be kept with some safety. At present we are in danger of losing for ever one of the finest collections south of the line. V ; ; . •': Mr. Mackelvie left £10,000 .for the erection of an art gallery, and it would be interesting to know whether any of this could be used in part payment for such a building. In any case, people would like to know how much this £10,000 has now amounted to. , If the proposal to erect,a new gallery were carried into effect, the present building (which is lined with wood, flighted with gas, is damp, and altogether unfit for its present use) could be otherwise utilised until Parnell, Grey Lynn. and other boroughs.are included in the city, when it would be wanted for its legitimate purpose—Council offices. Even now there is not enough room. The present Museum building could be leased for some - suitable purpose, such as the Junior Club, which is being talked of. . Turning to other matters, it would not here be out of place to refer to some of the most urgently-needed improvements to our parks,: notably . the Domain, which, as everyone knows, is in a most disgraceful condition. When are we going to cease regarding the Domain as a cow paddock'/ Surely it is time some paths were made, and the carriage-drive put into repair. (■: Most of the pine trees, too, should be made to give place to-the native growth, which is. not properly. looked after. The stone: which' marks the spot whence' the transit■'■ of Venus was observed wants attention, and at a very small outlay the ponds could be properly enclosed with netting and some aquatic birds of various kinds kept for the pleasure and instruction of old and. young. ■"..'-'-- The 13-acre park in Freeman's Bay ; : cannot fairly be regarded as anything but extravagance in view of the fact that about 1 80 acres of the Surrey Hills could have been secured for the same outlay. There i is one park, -however, of which the city ; may well be proud."and that is, of course, I Albert Park. There is only one thing ,'■'■. lacking to make it complete, and that is a .. magnificent marble monument to Auckland's !: patriots. When such men as Messrs. . Costley, Mackelvie, Elam, Sir George Grey, • and Dr. Campbell have made such princely > gifts to us, surely M the least we can do is ' to acknowledge them in a fitting manner, ' and one which will last for ever. Let us , erect a beautiful ornament in Albert Park as a permanent Roll of Honour, and inx scribe on it the names of the patriots just , mentioned, and leave room for others to t follow. Surely sufficient money could be , raised within a reasonable time; a military j demonstration in honour of the opening of . Cornwall Park would go some way towards > it. •■ , , ' ~ . .. Having reviewed briefly some suggested [ city improvements, let us touch upon two ■ other matters worthy of serious consideraj tion. ' , The first is with regard to Surrey Hills. a The vacant portion of this estate should be 3 secured before the price becomes too high ; : . if not, it will be thickly built on by small f cottages on small allotments, and develop i, into slums. It must be remembered that g a park in that part,of the town is necessary, r and that as time goes on, it would lay for a itself by improving and consequently rais--0 ing the ratable value of the whole district. This argument does not apply to Freeman's * Bay, which never will be a residential quar- '/ ter, a.nd will only be hampered by a park, i. The last matter which will be referred to r is within the province of our Scenery Con- '•■ servation Society, which has already done good work, and that is the acquisition of y part of the Waitakerei; Ranges. Two or three thousand acres have already been re-. s served, but that is not enough. It is won- '• derful to reflect that such magnificent views. u such majestic forest, and such grand coastal •• and creek scenery, combined with the best e j of pure air, should not have more attention. '■ Of course, since the. improvements to the

roads, the number of visitors to Nihotupu and the West Coast has wonderfully increased, and it is hard to calculate to what extent it will develop as the trip becomes better known. The land is poor and broken and never will be any use for farming, and at present could be bought for £1 per acre or under. Twenty thousand acres, or at all events as much as possible, should be reserved, the Government would give some and so would private people ; strips of bush would be felled in order to preserve the balance from fire, which is now speedily destroying this splendid forest, which can never be replaced: Roads would be cut to the magnificent Waitakerei and Nihotupu Falls, the beauties of which are now but half known. A road would be taken under the Public Works Act, down to. the Blowhole, and the Gap. and good hotels would be built. If these suggestions were carried into effect, one of the most unique and picturesque pleasure resorts in the southern hemisphere would belong to the people of New Zealand, for all time. Citizens stir yourselves! and Scenery Conservation Society wake up ! There is time yet, and dr. not let us neglect the work which has been so well begun. If we. put our shoulders to the wheel we can leave to posterity a patrimony worthy of the sons of Britain.