TOWN PLANNING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3765, 11 May 1926, Page 7

TOWN PLANNING.

ORGANISATION PROPOSED. ADDRESS BY MR HURST SEAGER. There was a large attendance at the Home Science Department of the Otago VJniversity on Wednesday night, when Mr fl. Hurst Seager delivered an interesting address on town planning. Professor Strong presided, and the address was given under the auspices of the Home Economics Association. The lecturer was assisted i>y some excellent lantern views of buildings in Britain which were erected between the beginning of the thirteenth century and the present time When the Normans invaded Britain the style of the buildings was altered. 'Hie original castle had a square tower, but this was changed to a round tower. During the thirteenth century and after there was little or no privacy •in the home. There was one large living room in which men and women were herded together in- much the same way as the Maoris lived. Some excellent pictures of Haddon Hall, in Derbyshire, were exhibited and explained by the lecturer. He said these delightful oid buildings had a charm all their own They were erected of materials on the spot which gave them a local colour. Architecture in those days was a splendid index of the progress and history of the people. A picture of Hengrave Hall, in Suffolk, was then displayed. This building, Mr Seager explained, was erected in the sixteenth century, and classical features were introduced from Roma The traditions of the people, however, were bo strong that it was impossible to have all the classical features. In those days the men engaged in house building were known as artisans, not workmen. TP* a man were asked to put a door in. he had no need to ask what sort of a door. There was no variety in doors or anything else for that matter in those days Even m the Elizabethan time the stylo cf buildings had not altered to any great extent, except that artisans came from Holland and tapestry work was introduced. This was distinctly noticeable in Hardwick Hall. There was, said the lecturer, a wealth of ’delightful architecture in those stately homes of England, but nevertheless there was a good deal for Dr Crawshaw, for instance, to condemn. Some good pictures of buildings in Old London were then shown, including Old St. Pauls, which was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666. The speaker then turned his attention to the disfigurement of buildings in England and New Zealand by hoardings and other forms of commercial advertising. He thought an effort should be made to abolish this form of advertising. Mr Seager then passed n to speak of the necessity of a town-planning organisation. Town-planuing, he said, was more than providing a plan for a city. The object of such an association should be to have delegate from each ’’sting , organisation to form a town-planning asso ciation, and each organisation would then become in a manner a special committee in charge of one or other sphere of townplanning activities. The organisations and their activities lie outlined as follows: Architects, planning and housing; engineers, water supply, sewerage, and roads; surveyors, lay-out of roads, etc.; Amenities Society, beautifying and getting rid of disfigurements; Law Society, legal aspect: the churches, social welfare: Medical Society, public health; Plunket Society, child welfare and creches; Woman’s Ee. Association, home life and welfare; Domestic Science School, hygiene and doi istie arrangement; University (Dr Hercus), u education in principles of T.P.; sports clubs, playing fields: Free Kindergarten Society, kindergartens and children’s playing grounds; accountants, finance: Chamber of Commerce, zoning* Expansion League, regional surveys; electrical engineers, lighting of narks and bouleyardes and town lighting schemes; builders, court building treatment; Art Society, mural decoration and colour schemes: Bov Scouts, care of school grounds and planted Bpaces; Girl Guides, care of school grounds and planted spaces. This subdivision of work, he explained, was only approximate. He thought that too little attention was mi.d to the child. Little or no provision was made for the child in our cities. They heard a great deal about what was being done for sport, but never a word about the child. He thought, too, that some colour should be put into the streets. Lighting effects, too. could be improved. He concluded by urging his hearers to get together and co-operate and co-ordinate, as it was ojilv by doing so that success would be achieved. (Applause.) Mrs S. M. Park proposed a rote of -.roanks to the speaker for his very fine She said the wpmen citizens of

Dunedin were out to help him in the object he had in view. The vote was carried by acclamation. FORMATION OF ORGANISATION. TO THE EDITOR Sir. —It is my hope that in every town im New Zealand we shall have a townplanning association, consisting of the organisations which now exist, co-ordinat-ing .and co-operating together to form one strong body so that the interests of each organisation may be recognised and encouraged by the rest. A list of such organisations as may exist in your town should be prepared showing the townplanning activities which they would be able to safeguard. The object is to have a delegate from each existing organisation to form a townplanning association, and each organisation would then become in a manner a special committee in charge of one or other town planning activities. It seems to me that it is better to work in this way than to attempt to found an independent town-planning association. Townplanning covers so much, and is so widereaching that no one association can possibly represent all its interests. It would only be necessary to appoint an independent chairman and general secretary The Amenities Society has clone marvellous work here, and I believe has become associated with the Town-planning Association in which the members of the New Zealand Institute of Architects take ft keen interest: but its work needs support from every point of view. Such a town-planning association, representing nil the associations of the town, would be able to speak with a powerful voice on any local matters, and would command the earnest attention of youi civic authority. All such New Zealand town-planning associations could then become lederated, and could speak with no uncertain voice on any Dominion and could place their views with some force before the Government. Next session it is hoped the Townplanning Bill now being prepared by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon R. F Bollard, will be converted into an Act, by which it is hoped the municipal autholities and the statutory authorities associated with them will be constituted as town-planning boards.* Such boards should be the controlling authority for any town-planning schemes, and it appears to me that it is well to have a townplanning association which will a«-t simply as an advisory body and will urge the Town-planning Board to do what the citizens generally think should be done in the interests of the town. 1 hope therefore that such an organisation will be founded in your town. —1 am, etc.. S. Hi rst Seager. F.R.f.B A.. President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.