FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21878, 14 August 1934, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

TREES IN STREETS NECESSITY IN AUCKLAND The need for a sufficiency of trees in the streets of Auckland was discussed 50 years ago, when residents of Hobson and Pitt Streets, now prosaic city thoroughfares, objected to the uprooting of trees in their neighbourhood. The attitude of the authorities of that time is interesting in view of the great encouragement given to tree-planting activities nowadays. Commenting on the subject, the New Zealand Herald, in its issue of August 14, 1884, said:—"We see that the removal of the rows of trees which were planted some years ago at each side of certain streets in the city, and which after years of growth are beginning to attain some size, is now before the attention of the City Council. A petition has been presented from a number of residents of Pitt and Hobson Streets against the uprooting of the trees which border their highways, and asking the council to reconsider its intention. The Mayor very properly moved that the uprooting arrangements should be suspended to allow of the matter being more fully considered. "A bordering of trees, where the streets admit of it, ranks among the well-recognised civic improvements of the age. Done in so many other cities, the thing was also laid down here by a former municipal body, and that which it has already taken years to grow it does appear peculiarly inappropriate to frustrate or abolish carelessly. Lines of street trees are a characteristic of modern towns; the two most beautiful cities in America, Philadelphia and Washington, are in particular most abundantly embellished with of trees in their streets. Few cities are so picturesquely situated as Auckland, and it should be our pride to make our streets attractive, as well as the surrounding country. Walking fatigues more in a town like fast-enlarging Auckland, whose site has so many alternations of hill and dale, and summer shade for the pedestrian is more needful to provide in our streets than in those of Philadelphia. Though the trees in Welleslev Street are still young, they have grown sufficiently to alter the summer oppressiveness of that long pull uphill between Queen and Symonrls Streets. So, too, Grey Street presents another stiff drag, in which bv and bye a very agreeable difference will be made by the cool shade of the " Action in taking up the trees in anv street should only be taken arter very full consideration of all the circumstances."