TOWN PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 202, 15 May 1918, Page 8

TOWN PLANNING

THE WELLINGTON ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the Wellington Town-Planning Association was held last evening. Mr. T. Ballinger presided, aud an apuiogy was "eceived from the Hon. .1. G. W. Aitken (president), who was unable to attend.

In the course of the annual report, tlie nc-od for "ontroUing the purity if the city's milk supply was mentioned. The committee had come, to the conclusion that no solution of the milk question was to he loimd in any other way than by a national control of innptction, and that tho responsibility for a pure supply should bo assured and put into operation by the Government. In regard to town planning, the report referred lo the Bill circulated at tho end of last session, and slated thai; suggested alterations in the Bill had beer submitted to all other associations represented at the meeting held lo consider it. A further conference was to lie held when Parliament again sat. The committee had asksd the New Zealand Government to appoint a representative lo attend the Town-Planning Conference lo be held in Brisbane in August next, at the instigation of the Queensland Government. Tho report, also referred to tho deliberations of tho committee, and the subsequent, conference in regard to the Wellington City Empowering Bill, as a result of whioh all tho objectionable clauses in the Mill wero struck out. In regurd to slums, the association had continued to state its policy that HP future subdivision of land should be made with sections of a smaller frontage than 40ft. where the topography of the ground is suitable. So far the members of tho City Connc.il had. apparently not yet grasped. what suc-h a restriction meant towards prnventing future slums. The roport went on to slate that though tho association's programme is town planning and the good of tho city, it. had to take more than a parsing interest in tho election of civic representatives. With one or two exceptions no assistance had been afforded to the association by those who wero glad to receive its 6apport at the last, municipal elections, and the question of the selection of future candidates by tho association would be one of the most important matters to be dealt with by the incoming committee. The "report concluded by recommending to the incoming committee the need for the vigorous advocacy of the Mangahao hydroelectric scheme. The chairman moved the adoption ot the report. Mr. E. C. .Tack said that the report hardly conveyed an adequate idea, of the amount of work the executive had done during the year. For instance, the milk question had been gone into very exhaustively. , , , . . Mr. J. Lambert deprecated a statement made recently by the Mayor to the effect that the ratepayers deserved credit tor allowing capital expenditure +o be made out of revenue. They should go tha length of repudiating the statement. The report was adopted. The balance-sheet, which also was adopted, showed that for the year the receipts exceeded the expenditure bv .14 9s. 5d., and that there was an overdraft of' JB2I Bs. lid. „ „ . Officers were elected as follow:—President, Mr. T. Ballinger; vice-prMidenta Uessrs. T. E. Ward, Carwell Cook, and A. Leigh Hunt; committee, Messrs. fc,, V,. Manton, L. A. George, E. Wheelei. V, C Jack, 0. Chisholm, J. Lnmbert, U E.' Collie; secretary, Mr. J. Ij. A rou .®j assistant secretary, Mr. H. E. Ho-hersall; auditor, Mr. E. W. Hunt. . . It was revived that in the opinion of tho meeting New Zealand should be represented at the Queensland Conference, and that the Government should be askd for a subsidy towards the exCorrespondence referred to the fact that the Queensland Government had stipulated, when making a grant towa:rd the expenses of the conference, that the=e two subjects should be diFCU&sed:—(l) Hepatriation in relation to the establishment of new industries for returned soldiers, and tho town-planning P™blema arising in connection therewith, (2) housing of the working classes.