TREES IN STREETS

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18076, 21 July 1930, Page 14

TREES IN STREETS

EFFECT ON POWER LINES. SHRUBS PREFERRED. “It appears to me that town planning as at present exemplified consists in making streets as awkward to reticulate as possible and making our overhead lines even more ugly,” said Mr H. F. Toogood, speaking at the conference of the Electric Supply Authority Engineers’ Association at ’Wellington. “It may be that town planning, like other phases of life, has its fashions, and these are passing whims and not in line with the true science; but if the planting of trees in the streets is encouraged, our difficulties both vvith regard to street lighting and the maintenance of electrical service, are bound to increase. “Streets can be made beautiful with shrubs, and they should be of the order that will cause no trouble either above the ground by branches or below the ground by roots. To suit most engineering services trees should be reserved for parks and banned from streets, -and beautification assisted only by garden plots and shrubs. “At the present time the moulding of town planning activities is in the hands of architects, surveyors, civil engineers and the Government Town Planner. On behalf of the association I have already made the protest that electrical supply authorities require to be consulted, but the protest has been answered by reference to the fact that representation of our branch is supposed to be effeoted through the civil side. As matters now stand we ,require to approach the New Zealand'Society of Civil Engineers to ask that at least one of their representatives in any general matters relating to town planning should be chosen from a man who is able to give advice on matters pertaining to electrical service and that this association should be consulted in the choice ”