Monkeylike Destruction.

Southland Times, Issue 13502, 20 July 1896, Page 3

Monkeylike Destruction.

to the editor. Sir, —A good many of our Invercargill citizens will doubtless remember what our public reserves along Puni Creek were like twenty years ago—a howling wilderness of waving grass, without a tree and the cold westerly and south-westerly winds sweeping over them and along the adjacent streets. But after the trees planted by the late Mr Waugh had raised their heads a little way the favourable effect was very apparent in the mitigation of the bitter bloats, and the scene began to change from the bare flat to something like a pleasant landscape. Recently the trees, being largo, added some beauty to our rather level town, and decidedly improved the temperature for a long distance to their leeward, as witness the improved growth in thel more eastern gardens. Through what process of reasoning or towards what beneficial end the present municipal authorities have permittedthe wholesale] destruction of all the trees in the block lying between Nith and Conon streets, south of Puni Creek, or what they will do next, it is hard to say. Can it be at the instigation of the new gardener,\ or is it within the membership of the Council that the desire to destroy these valuable trees has started. It seems like an outburst of the barbaric instinct to “clear” at all hazards; but I certainly think, and I know many others who agree with me, that the spoiling of our gardens, the sweeping away of the work and growth of years should not be decided on, without the approval of the citizens, and no Council should enter on such a course of pure destruction without first giving the citizens a chance of expressing their desires. It is a historical fact that in England and in Scotland both, the severity of the climate has been much tempered by the tree-planting of the last two hundred years, and every example or reference on this subject goes to show the evil of senseless clearing. Moi cover, why should men be employed cutting down those trees and clearing, when they could be profitably employed in drain and street works ? It is playing with public money, and I say better have no town gardener at all than incur expense carrying out monkeylike destruction of what was an ornament and a use in our town.—l am, &c., Citizen. 18th July.