TOWN PLANNING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1994, 27 February 1914, Page 4

TOWN PLANNING.

Sir',—Thoro is a very old French proverb which'says "A tordl' etable qua-ml les chevaux .sortt perdus." It' is found in most languages,-and Wo have become acquainted with it very often in New Zealand. : ;Xes, it is too late to shut tho stable, doOr when the horses have, been/lost. ■' Wo nro doing this •continually in'this.,Dominion. We cut down tho beecli'trecs that-'etad otir hills/ and burn •the "timber, 'and with it much of tho huriius or soil, Then oik- realised that 'tho' grass' that came up on the burnt'country was'-poor, and we Begin to talk'about replanting the hills, with trees.

Then wo, -by:-placing- our general and local taxation on Jm-id without im* provements, penalised- every, one who left aii open space or garden, as if lie were a public enemy.; As ; a eity, also, we. allowed the 'owners of gardens *to put houses behind;boiisesj in hack'gardens, as seen 'on WScllitigion'forraqo' and elsewhere; -audi then wo -began to cry out jnboiit ''open Ipaees,"' gardens, andtowntylamntig. '.'J'tic horses havO ; :*iikHi: lost,v.ajid we; spent,7pur},t'ime in shut*, ting, tlib stable door. -Is-.'it .£a.fc-''that - - huge ;.barfk ...buildings a'n;d. wateijouses should ■'not -/corifcibnto . a .cent to the.' local- or-general rates, biitthat gurdens should pay. as'if-they wore the sites of .buildings.?, j;vlf rit .is, why talk, about town ... planning.!?, ",',]Svery owner, ."of .a. garden." is peiiaKsod, and what could have'boeii/predieted in.ISD3-1898, when this kind, of.,taxation was .advocated has como to pass, Scopes of gardens haver been built ivp'oo 4WI scores .mere will bo coveredwith- buildings, for tho owners are. looked upon as publm enemies. Let.us do. some-t-hiiig to encourage gardens'and'opcai spaces, and. if ws do they will, not, be. cut up for building sites. .. Under, p-iir present law,of taxa-tion-wo may : haVc .lectures on aiid.asso* ciations for 'town.. ..pfenning, by the scores,, but ..the .destruction of gardens will still go-on. Wo need .'■'"'.... . — COMMON. .