BIG INCREASE IN MOTOR TRAFFIC.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18629, 5 December 1928, Page 5

BIG INCREASE IN MOTOR TRAFFIC.

MR H. J. BESWICK BACK FROM VISIT TO ENGLAND

Mr H. J. Beswick has been a member of the Christchurch Domains Board for many years. Nobody takes a deeper interest than he does in the Public Gardens. During his visit to the Old Country he visited the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, and St James’s Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, and Battersea Park. He said yesterday that he found some difficulty in comparing the English public parks, but at Battersea there was more original display in the bedding-out and in other directions than in any other park he visited, although all were very beautiful. He formed an opinion that in England the rock-garden, particularly the conventional rock-garden, is greatly in the ascendant.

He attended many horticultural shows. One of the drawbacks he noticed at Vincent Square, where the new hall was opened, was the enormous crowd. At all the shows he noted the excellent staging of the exhibits, which increased their value by about fifty per cent.

He was surprised at the extent of building operations in London and on the outskirts of the metropolis, also in and near most of the country towns, even in old towns like York.

There has been a material increase in motor traffic since his visit in 1926. The roads of the Old Country are still being improved. Motorists may go from the south of England to the north of Scotland on good roads all the way. Traffic regulation is very efficient everywhere. Mr Beswick was pleased to note that, although American cars are in evidence, they are few compared with the number of English cars. lie saw a magnificent display of cars at Olympia, where there was an enormous number of people from early in the day until late at night. The keenness of the salesmen there seemed to be a reflection of the spirit amongst British tradesmen generally. There is evidence that they are out to improve trade conditions, and to be less hide-bound than they were before the war. “ The British tradesman,” Mr Beswick said, “ is anxious to get as much trade as he can, and he is adapting himself to new conditions.” Asked as to whether he had made use of the High Commissioner’s Office. Mr Beswick said that, judging by his experience, Sir James Parr was doing remarkably good work there. He believed that Sir James Parr would be regarded as a most successful representative of the Dominion in London. He did willingly everything he could do to further the Dominion’s interests and to help visitors. Mr Beswick believes that New Zealand would be much more popular with the outside world if its hotels were as comfortable, and offered the same facilities, as hotels in other countries. To this end, he hopes that Sir Joseph Ward, when in power, will introduce legislation to give licensed victuallers a reasonable tenure, say ten years, in to eliminate the license question from ordinary politics.