"DOWN WITH THE FENCES !"

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13852, 11 September 1908, Page 6

"DOWN WITH THE FENCES !"

UNENCLOSED PARKS ADVOCATED. Thk district health officer (Dr. Purdy) wrote to last night's meeting of the City Council drawing attention to a, request from the committee of the Northern Club regarding the condition of the rubbish-tip between Bowen Avenue and Victoria Quadrant. He suggested tha> all organic refuse at present on the tip should bo burned, and the tip covered with a facing of earth. If it was the intention of the Council to make this ground into an ornamental area, he suggested that the plac* should be tilled up with road scrapings, and that the appearance would be improved by the removal of the present railings. In. this connection he mentioned the success which had attended the movement for removal of railings of parks, etc., in Australia, and at his suggestion the Newmarket Borough Council had removed the railings from, the vacant space on the borough side of the railway bridge, and had consequently improved the appearance of that area. •

Dr. Purely enclosed letters on the subject from the town clerks of South African and Australian cities. As far as he could learn, with the exception of the report of the town clerk of Adelaide, the /popular cry, " Down with the fences," was not only warranted from an aesthetic point of view, but also from an economic standpoint. The loss of over £1000 a year which would have resulted in Adelaide had the fences been removed, preventing the depasturing of cattle, had probably prevented the movement from meeting with iavour in that city, In Sydney, since the fences had been removed, "and the Sydney Domain and Hyde Park lighted at night, those places had lost their" evil reputation after dark. In many cities in America not only had the railings been removed from parks, but householders had- removed the fences from their garden allotments. Ilia own experience was that the le«« restriction put upon the public in such, matters the more they appreciated the privileges. Perhaps, until the public was educated up to a higher standard of citizenship, an artistic fence, a foot high, would bo sufficient to protect the edges of the lawns, should it be intended to make these open spaces, other than the-parks, worthy of that name. It would be interesting, however, to test the capabilities of Auckland on this question by leaving the ground in question without any enclosure for six months after it had been carefully tended and mad* pleasing to the eye. Mr, C. Grey (Acting-Mayor) moved, " That Dr. Purdy's letter be referred to oho Works Committee for report," and the motion was carried.