THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17009, 16 April 1926, Page 7

THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.

GOVERNMENT HOARDING-ADVER-TISING. CHRISTCHURCH* RAISES OBJECT JONS. DEFACING THE COUNTRYSIDE. (Special to the Herald.j CHRISTCHURCH, this day. At the deputation from the Christchurch Beautifying Association, which ivaited upon the Executive of the Canterbury Progress League to protest against the Railway Department’s policy of rural advertising, Mr. K. F. Stead produced photographs of two advertisement hoardings which were placed at different points on the main south line. These he termed monstrosities. Almost everywhere tin advertisements were nailed to tree trunks. The thing was unquestionably much worse in other districts than in Canterbury. There were comparatively few of tl/e advertisements he complained of until two or Three years ago. The Railway Department was the chief cause of the l rapid spread of the advertisements,' and naturally private firms would go on increasing their advertisements. If the Railway'Department was out for revenue why hot start something less offensive? If the railways did not pay along legitimate lines, he objected to them being made to pay by- means of defacing the countryside.- The Tourist Department did hot pay, yet, it did not- resort -to such steps •as rural advertising. Ht had an 1 excellent opportunity of plas-tering-the' Hot -Springs 'with: advertisements for. hot water battles’ (laughter), and he' could conceive of.’rio better plocie for the advertising of w'dritf tablets, than the Waitomo Caves’. (Renewed laughter.) “WHOLE THING RIDICULOUS.”

“The whole thing was ridiculous,” continued Mr. Stead. “The Department of Industrial . Affairs should start a brewery and a bun shop, and why not use Government House for advertising purposes? The Railway Department maysay they are not utilising the real beautyspots. Up to the present that may be correct, - but. the thing is only in its infancy. If the advertisements are not attractive in 'ordinary situations they will soon be placed in the most attractive spots. If the present policy is persisted in New Zealand will lose'far more in tourist traffic than it will recoup from railway- advertisements.” Mr. Stead concluded by saying there was no reason why New Zealand should be defaced*because of'the'opinions of one man—Mr. Goates.

' The organiser, Mr. P* R. Climie, said the Prime. Minister’s, mind appeared to ■be firmly made up, and it would require all.tha pressure, to. make, him depart from the present principle. Personally he thought the Railway Department were setting a' bad example to private firms. He.suggested he should be permitted to write to various Progress Leagues, Chambers of Commerce, and other local bodies, and members of Parliament, with whom it was customary to commnnicate on all such matters* in .moving along the lines suggested by the organiser. • . Mr. ,W;.K. .MeAlpine said Mr. Coates did not own. New Zealand, and if : his policy -was not in- accordance with what the people wanted then he would have to alter it. : The idea was to keep the country, beautiful, and that it should notbe defaced.