CITY COUNCIL'S YEAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2144, 29 December 1920, Page 9

CITY COUNCIL'S YEAR.

A MAYORAL RETROSPECT. SCHEMES FOE THE FUTUBE. A review of the Christchurch City Council's operations during the past 12 months, combined with an expression of his views upon the policy that should be adopted next year, has been forwarded by the Mayor (Dr H. T. J. Thacker, M.P.). The document, which is v.-rii* ten in the doctor's characteristic style, is as follows: " Eeconstrnction, progress, education, must be our watchwords ia 1921. Looking back over our past year, 1920, it is with a sfifte of deep civic interest and pride, of deepest pride, inthat we received, welcomed and had as ourguest his Royal Highness the Prince of wales, than whom no royal personage has endeared himself to our British Empire, to our great soldier men and to our. selves, a Digger Prince, than bur Em-? pire's .greatest ambassador.

"I particularly thank all sections of' the community, and especially those committees thai" worked so hard ana made the Royal visit a great success. We have welcomed and entertained many other distinguished visitors, civilian, military, and from overseas. "Our permanent officials and staffs have done and worked well. "On a fixed pre-War income we have managed to finance, but now that postWar conditions maintain we must have an increased revenue, not only to carry on, but to carry out those improvements which are of'vital necessity* "The acquisition of the Canterbury Hall site, Manchester Street, will enable a housing scheme to be carried out for our administration, which is very urgent for the sake of health, centralis*-, tion and efficiency. '' The workers' houses, Huxley Street., under our housing scheme, are well under way. The small sum lent by the Government (£IO,OOO per annum) is merely a pittance of what we require," "Elmwood Park acquired, fenced) paid for and reproductively sown, will in. 12 months' time be a needed extension of our sports and playgrounds. "Waltham Park acquired by poll andpaid for is being put into shape, end will be a splendid Jung asset in one of the most thickly populated parts of the: city. - "A creche ground has been acquired; adjacent to the Sydenham Main School.! and, when completed, will be a great; rest and boon to working mothers.; "Our hydro-electric scheme has been fully exploited, and we are anxiously awaiting the promised increased power from Lake Coleridge. The administrative work of our hydro-electric schema has been separated from the technical side by the appointment of a general manager, Mr E. Hitchcock, who, too, has entirely readjusted and added to the offices in Manchester Street and made them np-to-date in all respects. "A great deal of tarring and tarred macadam has improved our streets for traffic purposes, and caused a decided abatement of the dust nuisance. This process needs a much wider application. J "Our street traffic regulation, both foot passenger and vehicular, must receive more earnest attention. There if far too much reckless, unskilled and fast driving, and serious accidents are toe painfully common. This must receive tin application of well-framed, reasonably by-laws. "A Sewerage Bill passed by I'arliamen t_ has added additional suburban a real to our existing area. We must arrange for v a greater water supply to carry out a comprehensive scheme of sewerage and t< get our neighbouring boroughs—Riccar ton, Spreydon, Woolston, Sumner an< New Brighton—and the counties o: Heathcote and Waimairl, to join us, an< so consolidate our great mutual civic sen vices and make our city one harmonion whole under one administrative control taking in, of course, the tramway sys tern, engineering, street construction water supply, sewerage, hydro-electrii system, and direct communication the sea. This will be carried out undei one roof in our new offices, Mancheetq Street. "Our export and import and Oust on services are daily growing worse, to tin advantage of other Dominion cities, ft are being starved for coal, timber am railway truck handling. '' We must have a great City HftH com patible with the dignity of our city, t house and hold our entertainments, on orchestral and band concerts, ajndlfijxi and large public function*' '*. . "Our city at present hardly roigße her great beauties ■and her greet'Mft which Nature and our Pilgrim 1 gave to us. Three of these are oar fjfi dens, qur parks and squares, and «u River Avon. The river should be" «0» prehensively taken in hand and made ifc beauty item of our beautiful "Garni City." Citizens ean assist the beautify ing of our city by keepina tidy prerafifc and 1 iily fences, and making their bulk "skyline" with their neighbour Front gardra fences are not a neeMpn and those that are unsightly shouldo removed. '' The citizens have these matters i ! their own hands, and have only to vot and the thing will be done. Our nes city elections—to be held in April, 192: under proportional representation—wi givo every progressive citizen a right i vote for our progressive necessities."