THE CIVIC SQUARE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19195, 8 December 1925, Page 10

THE CIVIC SQUARE.

FRAMING A NEW SCHEME. CO-OPERATION OF CITIZENS, j A COMMITTEE PROPOSED. , 1 A suggestion that tho City Council should obtain the; co-operation of prominent citizens, outside its own members, in formulating a scheme for the development of tho Civic Square area has been made by Mr. William Elliot in a letter to the Mayor, Mr. George Baildon. Mr. Elliot writes as follows: — "When the question of acquiring property for the formation of Anzac Avenue was under consideration, certain prominent citizens were asked by the City Council to go into the scheme and report as to its feasibility. After full inquiry, these citizens warmly approved of the proposal and it was carried out. "In this connection, I beg to suggest that a similar course be followed in reference to tho Civic Square and that a number of our best business men be requested by the City Council to promulgate a scheme for the utilisation of this exceedingly valuable endowment. I am aware that a committee of the council has this matter under consideration, but if the assistance of outsiders were sought they could either be added to this committee or asked to make a separate recommendation. '"Hie proper treatment of tho Civic Square is of tho greatest importance to the future of the city and the best .brains in the community should be enlisted to assist the council in formulating a policy for the use to the best advantage of this unique and extonsivo area. Should any jnistake be itiado now in dealing with the square it can never be rectified, and while ratepayers have every confidence in tho City Council as constituted, I feel that, on account of tho immense and farreaching importance of the subject, members of the municipality should seek and welcome the advice of prominent citizens as to the treatment of this land. "In tho event of a citizens' committee being set up and a scheme recommended i which mot with the approval of the City Council, it would no doubt be sanctioned by the ratepayers, who would recognise that the policy proposed had been carefully thought out and put forward by men who had the best interests of the city | at heart and who had been successful in conducting their own businesses."