GRASS PLOTS IN STREET

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 7

GRASS PLOTS IN STREET

ATTITUDE OF THE COUNCIL

TREATMENT BY RATEPAYERS.

UNTIDINESS OF THE ROADWAYS.

COMPLAINT BY A COUNCILLOR.

“Like Oliver Goldsmith's deserted village,” was the term used by Cr. T. P. Anderson to describe the appearance of certain streets near the centre of New Plymouth when the summer grass was growing on unformed portions of the roadway. The growth in certain instances was shocking to contemplate, he said. The council debated with considerable liveliness the question whether or not a works committee recommendation to decline requests for grassing footpaths in Tukapo Street, Westown, and Frankleigh Park should be adopted. Cr. F. S. Grayling said that he was opposed to the rejection of the requests because' he thought that, with a little encouragement from the council, property owners would look after the appearance of the streets. The council should do everything in its power to keep the roads in order. Eventually a division resulted in the recommendation being referred back to the committee by five votes to three. In certain cases, said Cr. Grayling, he knew of borough streets so badly formed that storm-water had no. chance of reaching the guttering. The engineer, Mr. C. Clarke, however, said that the works committee had been somewhat discouraged in its policy of encouragement as a result of its experience in Frankleigh Park, where grass had been laid down on the frontage of 40 or 50 houses and was kept in reasonable order by only three or four occupants. It was after an inspection of this area that the committee had decided to turn down the requests from the Westown and Frankleigh Park Progress Associations.

Cr. S. J. Smith: That is certainly the case. The results there were far from what we expected. My attitude is that if residents want grass they must be prepared to look after it. AGREEMENT ADVISABLE. Cr. P. E. Stainton suggested that, grass might be supplied if an agreement between the council and the residents were entered into. Some form of obligation agreement would probably 'be effective in keeping the streets so treated in order. While he was sure that the works committee- was justified by its refusal he was of the opinion that some form of compromise was desirable. Cr. Anderson said that unfortunately the condition of suburban streets was by no means the only matter of reproach. Streets where the responsibility -was entirely the council’s —within a few hundred yards of the centre of the town—were in a shocking condition. Cr. Grayling: Because one set of ratepayers fails ’to discharge its obligations I don’t think it fair to turn down all the others. If the grass is not cut, why not send round the mower, if necessary. It is better to have the paths grassed anyhow at all than to have strips of churned up mud and soft earth. The surface is at least maintained if there is grass. It will be a retrograde step if we tum down grassing altogether. He moved that the recommendations of refusal be referred back to the works committee for reconsideration. Mr. Clarke: It might be as well to remember that Tukapo Street is on the stock route. It is hardly a good place to sow grass. Cr. S. J. Smith: I know of no other requests that have been turned down before this. I am sympathetic, but we want these plots kept in order before we put down others. ' . Cr. Grayling stated that at a recent meeting a suggestion to reject a similar application by a Nobs Line resident had been deferred back to the’ committee.

When the recommendation from the committee was put to the meeting Crs. J. Brown, F. J. Hill and S. J. Smith were in the minority.