ELIMINATION OF POLES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 3

ELIMINATION OF POLES.

Replacement by Trees Favoured. “ Pull up poles and put in trees,” Mr Irving Sladen told members of *the Christchurch Beautifying Association last evening. He had just returned from a tour overseas, he said, and he had come back a more confirmed “ anti-polist ” than before. He had seen everywhere cities that were getting rid of their poles and it made a wonderful difference to their appearance. St Kilda Road, Melbourne, he regarded as the most beautiful residential street in the world, and he did not remember any poles in it. Christchurch was a beautiful city, but it was utterly spoiled by the forest of poles that met the eyes everywhere. Members supported Mr Sladen’s remarks, some quoting instances of bent, twisted and ugly poles that were raised in city streets. It was decided to write to the Tramway Board, the City Council, the Post and Telegraph Department and the Public Works Department asking them to try to make any future poles they erected as ornamental as possible. Mr R. B. Owen suggested that the planting of cherry trees along the front of gardens in suburban streets would be an inexpensive way of beautifying the city.