CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13488, 31 July 1907, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

O — We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. The writer's name, as a guarantee of good faith, must he enclosed in the letter. BEAUTIFUL NEW PLYMOUTH. (To the Editor.) Sir, — For many years past New Plymouth has possessed an enviable reputation throughout the colony as being peopled by a community who take pride in the adornment of their town and their surroundings. Onr Recreation Grounds, our Cemetery, St. Mary's Church, the Meeting of the Waters, Maryland Hill, the Hospital Grounds, are all 'quoted as places which do^us credit and are worthy of imitation by other towns, and we have also the distinction of having originated the scenery preservation movement which has been taken up by several of the larger centres and by the Government itself. Qne might have' supposed that the Borough Council would have been the first to resent and discourage any proposal to create a disfigurement of one of its own reserves, and it is difficult to understand its action in consenting to the erection of a great iron fence along the frontage of the Western Park, which certain speculators have undertaken to provide on condition that they have a monopoly for ten years of the right to bedaub it with advertisements. The Council's action in this tmatter is an outrage on the community, and especially on pro-perty-owners in the west end of the borough, who have for years past been striving to beautify their homesteads and add to the charms of New Plymouth. It is an open secret that interested persons canvassed members of the Council and obtained the acquiescence of a majority so that, the work might be actually under way before the Council meeting last nighk The ratepayers, particularly those of the West Ward,, ought at once to take steps to get the Council to rescind its ill-advised and scandalous resolution, no matter what may be the consequences to the greedy promoters, not one of whom lives in this end of the town* Probably if the opinion of the Borough Solicitor is taken it will be found that the whole business is ultra vires, and that such a contract cannpt be entered into by the Council without due notice. — I am, etc., RATEPAYER.