SCENERY CONSERVATION SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12625, 4 August 1904, Page 6

SCENERY CONSERVATION SOCIETY.

—~* I { ANNUAL REPORT. Thz annual report of the Auckland Scenery j Conservation Society, to be submitted to the ! annual meeting fixed for Friday, sth isst., j state's : — The committee are able to asctrece* irsprove- i test drrlnz the p*»t year in the scmber of oriin- | ir- members, in reverse and conation* in kind, j and in »it'ci of streamer appreciation of the society and its objects. Ts« death of V.r. W. Berry, late editor of the Xzf Zealasd EebaLD, is revrirh keen resrret. He w:iß a rr.En.b-rr of trie f©c:e:; from its fotia ration, arid helped it os various occasions, especially in the *o.:i;;5 opp&sidoa last session to the Bill concerning the Doat»';n. J The sociersr have to thank the Cornwall Park Trust, Captain M'atQtieer;, Mr,. Pierce, a:-- Avoca School Ccn-iaiUee for donations of tres* ass t-ibs, Kid J.p-on-: Eoad Board for turf. These, toother with a number of trees p-rob&sri frota the nurserymen, hi'.;- been distribute--' 0 schools an: other punlia todies desirous of k£t>ro>ir:? tsetr rr."-;----- A •:' J ''''i<TibU amount of for;::a:ior. was Seat by th» Board and School Cotsttittee to the Parti*!! pablis school, and "the raii'.} assisted by p'antisj all that si- 10 prepare!, w;fh «ra-.5, try**, stiii shrub-?, which are alj ctj? well. It is, however, vrry de»:rib!e that there should be jess organisation amongst -be ptspil.*, and encot-'rai-ed by the milters, by -which tie e»'i!i J .i stay be *--er..ied to, grits eat from time to tine, trees staked, if blows over, etc. Trees or bulbs, or borh, have bseri sect w •he following places also:—Campbell Point fce.-erve. Orphan Home, V.'aihi Hospital, an-2 public schools a'. A roes, Pakuranga, PapV.oetoe, Or: L :bt-a, Bayfield, Epsom, Northr*te, Otabtrha, where we were Informed that interest was token m the appearance of the tcbooi gr'j-D'is. Several mere applications for tress have been received from country schools within the last week or two, and these •will be supplied as soon as the committee know that tiio croonds are ready. li, however, tie society !» ,to continue, and extend it a otv j ra f k'ns as a dUtr-b'Jting medium, it will need to tpenl n."re in tragte for a -:. in to attend to tbii work. Hitherto alasst the whole tr"Ti*. of what Las b-'rea do:.» in this line Las fallen on the «ecre'.sry. The past year is tnemt/r----sb for the action the society had to take in op--7»oi:n? bv petition to pariiitr,er,i the Bill the City Coincil iere promo-ia; to iezaiife the present ii-let-al occupation of part of the Domain for hospifai pr.'rp.-)*£i, * Titis oppo-ition was =tjcces.fiil, and the r.o:r.rnitsee believe that, i.3'l they not tskea,virorons ( action rfecar'Jin? tie petition, and stirred up public opinion with the powerful as»i>tauce of the HER-ti-D, the B.ii w&jid have sdippei throarh with little attention, a* happened on a previous o:-ra-fi-.n, • when soate four aires were lost to the Domain with no eornpen-ation. On the recent occasion, it is only fair to state that an exchange to proposed, but one that ycrr oon:uiit-te= considered very detrimental to the Domain. The committee rei-ret that they have as yet been unable to cause the removal of 'the unsightly building pot up d'jr-\v.-j the p!a?;;e scare. They have, however, received a definite statement from the City Council that the Hospital Board i; maiin? arrangemetits for another site, and that these buildings will be then removed. The recent publication of the unsaitability of these buildings for proper classification should hasten the selection of a ir.orc permanent cite and the removal of the building*. _ The committee have been in correspondence with the Government regarding the proposed use of pointi:- j ';-.-.va for railway fleepers, and have expressed the opinion that, whether succaafal or not as timber, the Government should nit enccirage the ruthless destruction of the beauty of the Northern coasts, which would almost certainly follow if the Railway Department became purchasers of such larpre quantities a* v,-o-;ld be needed for sieep-trs. The Departaient have, however, promised to reconsider the i isa'ter, and in another Depar r;:tnt fßand- and Sttr--1 vev) the Chief Snrveyer ha.', at the society's rej cv'-st. fiver: instruction" that the cliffs and steep -.! Slopes or. Crown sands alont; our co-isw,' where poh'ji fikavva.- and other native tre*s are growing, shall, i wherever pracric-able, be recurved from vale or j lease. The ;bi«ct of forest preservation and re- ; n*ira! has received a considnrjb'e auiount of attenI tinn from the committee. They are also moving in j the direction of having a strong State Forestry De- ! pirfment established, having control over both exI istint' forest? and the planting of new ones. The ! Government are doing m icii by making reserve? i and by new p'ar.tV.ioas, but public opinion wants ] roun'nV to ba-k thcrn up; an': in this, help can be ! sisvn by this society and the other kindred soI <■■■.>■:'■- in the colony. The committee have to ' thank V-. Branlan, of the Survey Office, for a worki inz of a sundial, and hope to induce the i Council to have one erected in Albert Park. The i possibility of miking improvements to the Con- | j'.itution Hill Reserve is- receivin? attention, but the - financial ''''' :!ty bars the way at present. A I depot i f ion from the committee waited upon His ■ r . 'or.-iip the Mayor recently, in reference to various I matters, and '.'.is ylad to find that it is oropo<ed to mfiki; i-rable improvements in the Domain, by | cuttint' on' poplars an 1 pine« from the native bush portion, and r nut in? with native trees; and -i'io by exiendinp the 'rives aril cleaning and enlarzin'i the ponds. His Wo.-.ship is '.urninH' his attention, also, to the »tate of the trees in Albert Park. The committee d'-:»ir<; to thank those members who have been (-ontimiotU' kUPportTs of the | Joci<-t» in the uphill work of csfablif it dur- j ins; tin early years of its life. The five numbers ! of committee who retire according to the rule-. I 1, •» ir.vt be re-elected, :-Dr. if. Haines, and j MeV.r*. 11. B. Morton, J. Mitchell, P. T. Ward, and K." C.iy. Tho «cc'<?ty has a membqruli'p of 100. in addition to 12 li?'"- inemliers. Thy receipts and expenditure for th<- y&ar balance, but th'jre is a liability for trees ordered amounting to £4 103. 1 1