TOWN PLANNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19412, 21 August 1926, Page 14

TOWN PLANNING.

DISCUSSION ON THE BILL. SECOND READING CARRIED. CRITICISM AND COMMENDATION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. In the House this afternoon the Hon. R. F. Bollard moved the second reading of the Town planning Bill. He said he thought the bill was 25 years late in coming before Parliament. Had it been brought down earlier thousands of pounds would have been saved to local bodies. Many local bodies thought they were going to lose some of their powers. In reality they would be increased. If it did nothing else the bill would clean up the slums of some of our qities and if this was accomplished it would certainly serve a good purpose. There had been agitation to postpone the bill fen 12 months, but ho deprecated that course as postponed legislation was seldom successful. The bill had been prepared by experts and he felt confident of its ultimate success. Il 1 reply to Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister said the bill affected only buildings erected after the Act came into operation. Mr. H. L. Tapley (Dunedin North), while approving of the principle of the bill, declared local bodies were not prepared for it and desired time for further consideration. Ha moved as an amendment that the bill be postponed until next, year. Mr V. H. Potter (Roskill) seconded the amendment on the ground that the Minister had given no reason why the bill must be passed this year. The Government had done all that was required of it by bringing the bill down, but it was too immature to warrant it being rushed through in the dying hours of the session. Amendment Ruled Out. The Speaker indicated that he could not accept the amendment in the form submitted. Mr. E. J. Howard, (Christchurch South) urged the inclusion of a practical builder on the Town Planning Board. The Hon. A. D. McLeod contended they would never make any progress until they put some town planning Act on the Statute Book. It could be amended afterwards, but no good purpose would be served by postponing tie present bill. Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) said the bill went too far and not far enough. It imposed obligations but made no provision for giving effect to them. The bill would have to be amended in Committee and made workable.

The debate was continued in the evening by Mr. H. G. Dickie (Patea), who said he considered the measure would be acceptable generally, but he thought it should not apply in towns with a population oi under 1500, as the expense would be too great for the smaller places. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) hoped that when the bill was placed on the Statute Book local bodies would be compelled to give effect to it. Postponed Too Long. The Prime Minister said the Government appreciated what members had said, but he could not reconcile the ex-, pressious of commendation with the pleas for caution which some speakers indulged in. Town planning was a subject that had been more or less before Parliament for many years. If a good far-sighted plan had been evolved in the early days great trouble and expense have been avoided. He thought the oill was closely associated with the Family. Allowances Bill, passed by the House yesterday. Both were, designed to give the poorer people's children a better chance in life.'

Continuing, Mr. Coates said he believed the proposals would enable the people to reach a standard of efficiency and conditions of living that would make £or their happiness.' If the conditions now -were unsatisfactory, let the House, as the people's representatives, take steps at once to produce improvements., ~it served no useful purpose to continue postponing this matter.. When the legislation was in operation the best talent must be obtained to administer : it, and educate the people in the need for improvement. Haphazard Growth. It could scarcely be declared that the towns and cities in New Zealand were satisfactory. He quoted Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, which simply bad grown by absorbing adjoining boroughs in the planning out of which the present civic authority had had no/say whatever. There had been much cutting up of land in these suburbs without any real supervision, such as would be given by the town planning board and the director. The bill was important and- provided means of inaugurating improvement schemes that had been long asked for. * * V Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) recalled the "effort made by the previous Government to carry similar legislation, but it had been found so hedged about with difficulties that it had to be dropped owing to people at a distance asking for a postponement. This had gone on for the past 18 years.' He believed the time had arrived when such a measure should be put intd effect. If difficulties developed they could be met and overcome. At present local bodies were suffering from Excessive rates, but he believed these would inr course, of time be reduced appreciably, Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) agreed that the matter had been long enough before the country for municipalities to make known their objections and the time had come when something should be done on the lines suggested in the bill. Time for Legislation. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, said general approval had been given in Parliament ,and the country to the principles of the bill. A town planning conference met seven years ago in New Zealand and it was certainly time legislation was enacted to inaugurate town planning. The only fault in the bill, to his mind, was the slowness of tha machinery of the bill. Since municipalities had" three years' grace before they were compelled to formulate townplanning schemes, it was possible for, a local .body to have as long as five years before it was compelled to take action. He urged that the Town-planning Board should include at least one representative of the working men, who dia the actual work of building, lie predicted that if the bill was passed and sympathetically administered, no one present could predict the extent of the benefit that would accrue to future generations. Mr. C. E. McMillan (Tauranga) hoped the fullest attention would be given to ! securing the best possible water supplies for. towns and cities. The second reading was agreed to without a division. ORAKEI RELIEF WORK. EARNINGS OF WORKERS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— SPECIAL EEPOQTEH.] WELLINGTON, Friday. The question of the pay received by co-operative workers on the Orakei un-. employed works was raised in the House not long ago by the member for 'Grey' Lynn, Mr. F. N. Bartram. The Minister of Public Works, Hun K. S. Williams, was not then able to give particulars, but-to-day in a statement to the House he said that of nine parties one earned only lis 4d a dav, the one with the best results earned 14s lOd, and the average for the nine 13s, Co-operative parlies on most of the other, relief works throughout the Dominica earned more than the basic wage of 143 a day. ' b