THE RAID ON THE RIVERBANKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17080, 29 June 1923, Page 6

THE RAID ON THE RIVERBANKS.

Yesterday the " Star ’ published a photograph of a very unsightly transformer station erected in the avenue of trees on the North Belt, where a well-grown tree lias been, removed from the avenue to make way for an electrical utility. AVe commend this matter to the serious consideration of the Beautifying Association, for it is a transformer of this nature that the Electricity Committee of the City Council is endeavouring to place on the riverban.k alongside the present City Council Chambers. So far the committee has! been thwarted in its design, but it. has not abandoned the proposal, and the chairman made a very evasive answer to a question in the Council when he said that nothing would be done to disfigure the riverbank. The trouble is that some councillors simply do not know disfigurement when they see it, and are not to be trusted in matters of good taste and city beautifying. In tlie belief that a strong effort will be made to secure the coveted piece of riverbank for tlie use of the Electricity Department, we urge the Beautifying- Association to take the matter up actively. The seizure of the site hass the support of the Mayor and other influential councillors, but they should bo brought to a realisation of the fact that the riverbanks arc a reserve that cannot be tampered with, especially as the ejection of an electrical station, would certainly be accompanied by a maze of overhead wires and probably by the destruction of trees.