TOWN PLANNING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 157, 15 October 1912, Page 7

TOWN PLANNING.

SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR,

THE ENGLISH WAYS,

HOW THEY MAY BE APPLIED HERE.

lojra Planning :'and the Oity Beautiful formed a- subject • for interesting speeches .at the Concert Chamber of the Town.Hall last night. The lecture, or lectures, marked Hie opening of a series arranged by the Arts Club for the purpose of arousing interest in the subject. The speakers of the evening were introduced by the Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laren). His Excellency the Governor, who had consented to speak on the subject, expressed pleasure at being associated with the Arts Club'in the very commendable effort which they were making'to arouse public interest in this very important movement. He would be 'dad to have his name placed on the roll of membership, and he hoped that the.fact of his becoming a member would mean continuity and, that ' the gentleman who succeeded him would take up the work when ho (Lord Islington) left New Zealand. He was sure that, by-meetings such as the Jresent-one, enthusiasm would bo infused" .and interest in the subject aroused far and wide. -In addressing the subject of town planning his' remarks would sariljr-.be confined to experiences of the Old Country. In many respects' conditions here were different from what they .-were in^ ; England, but, if he gave those present a few thoughts on this matter,' as' he had seen it' in England, he could not believe but'that some of these thoughts 'and'ideals would apply here. His Excellency then went on to refer to the time prior ".to the first warning note being sounded 23 years ago, whon tho growth of towns had been conducted on lines pre.senting an absence" of method and "showing a want of anticipation of future requirements. The corporations of those fifties., had been powerfes to prevent this hap-" hazard growth on account of the limita-

tions imposed bf 1 by-laws l . 'S&iVJ 1889, however, pi)pula?' l 'tast(f'-fiad' I fiiovea f forward a good "deal;" and was still'advancing with yery rapid strides. 'One"re-' siilt'of this advance Had been seen in' tHe •many" .representative -conferences on- the .question,.-and." the outcome of theso deliberations Had been the establishment on

lie outskirts of London and other cities f what were known as "Garden Sub-

itrbs." . These hail been established,. and were being: maintained by private enterprise, and the system had been found to work very successfully. Town planning on scientific lines (continued his Excellency) was a. subject on which one had to get abreast of very intricate and techpical points. In conncction with this phase, of'.tho. subject, his Excellency emphasised the necessity for giving close attention to the construction of roads, and the great inconvenience and expense that had been caused in the Old Country through the non-observance of this primary canon. It was also necessary to obliterate from the mind muoh of what had been contained in the old by-laws, because such injunctions would be found inappropriate to new ideas, and would render impossible the development of a newer scheiue on economic lines. In this connection -he pointed out that there was ho reason why subsidiary streets should be of the same width or of the same substance as the main streets. The advantage of such a differentiation was:—(l) That the cost of construction of the subsidiary streets was very much less; (2) the cost of maintenance was less; and (3) all the Burplus land was available for extra garden ground for the houses on tho property. , His Excellency t'h«n passed on'to somo mention of Hampstead, which he regarded ns ono of the very best models on the. subject. He also affirmed that .'an artistic house structure could' be built just as inexpensively as the "monstrosity of a house," and that it'was of no use ■having ono model house-thrown anion? an u»ly group—the artistic sense should be running right through. Continuing,' Lord Islington remarked that it was folly' to imagine .that trains, rows of shops, and business places were incompatible with .the presence of trees. Trees should and would add greatly to the charms of those eycryday business undertakings. If advisory committees were called together, the effect of the consideration which they nligit and would give the subject -would .bo apparent, in the different aspects of our towns in ten or twenty years' time. Finally, his Excellency said that, when' he left New Zealand, he would be very ■'often here in .spirit in connection with those public movements with which he 'had become acquainted, and anion? these would be the movement in favour of town It w.ih a movement rchio'h would not only add beauty to the towns, but would'also make for the convenience, the comfort, and the' health of the' people who dwelt in those towns.

Mr. Hurst Seagar, F.K.1.. 8.A., of Chrisfc.liurch, who was tlio next speaker, gave an illustrated lecture. in which lie 'contrasted the counted and hadlyconstructcd areas of towns and cities with 'th'o modem garden. suburbs. lie _ also .referred to the growth of public- opinion towards better ideals, and showed how in some" parts of the world people now thought nothing of pulling down .great blocks of houses so that fine buildings might-be seen to greater advantage. ■