TOWN-PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 205, 24 May 1919, Page 8

TOWN-PLANNING

THE DOMINION CONFERENCE PAPERS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS HOUSES FOR WORKERS The Town-planning Conference sat again yesterday to discuss papers and receive reports of committee. Mr. George Ebbott (Mayor of Hastings) preEided over the morning session, and Mr. W. Raymond (Mayor of Timaru) over the afternoon session. The Hon. G. W. Russoll was presont during most of the forenoon. ! Mr. P. W. Rowley (Secrotarv for Labour) forwarded a paper on "Homes for Workers." Owing to indisposition. Mr. Rowley was unable to attend, and his paper was read by Mr. H. E. Moaton (Deputy Superintendent of Workers' Dwellings). v In ono sense, said the author of tho paper, tho aspect of town-planning that no had been called upon to deal with might claim to be its most important feature, seeing that the workers mado the great bulk of the population. For tho purposes of his paper he would regard as "workers" all of these persons whoso earnings did not, in tho ordinary course, permit them to buy homes for themselves tinder the usual conditions: those persons, in short, who required State assistance to enable them to purchase dwellings. Thus, for example, ail persons whose earnings did not exceed J3350 per annum might be included. It w&s estimated that oat of the 310,000 members of tho malo population who were 21 years of age or older, about 250,000 earned less than the figuro mentioned. Town-planners should have the housing of the workers chiefly in view. Tho rest of tho community oould more easily be brought into line- with a town-plan-ning scheme. Mr. Rowley outlined tho provision at present made by tho State to assist in providing homes for the workers. He described the various facili-. ties afforded under the Workers' Dwellings Act and tho State Advances Act, ■ and gave figures illustrative of what had already been accomplished by his Department in the administration of the former statute. He pointed out that the Department had several advantage} ovor private builders in the matter of ibuildmg cheaply. It could buy laud more cheaply, .as it had tho advantage of ready access to Government valuations, and of consultation with Government experts. It bought a number of sections simultaneously,, and erected several houses simultaneously, thus effecting a considerable saving in tho cost of land and erection. The legal expenses were limited to tho cost of transfer of title on completion of purohase. Moreover, there were no profits.

"I want to mention," continued Mr. Rowley, "that wo have had our eyes open for a ■ considerable time for the latest ideas in the erection of small residences. It has always 6eemcd to me that it should be possible to erect dwellings iu ■wholesale fashion' instead of ono at a time, and thereby to considerably reduce tho cost. We aro at tho present timo investigating several methods that havo been submitted to Iho Department in various parts of New Zealand, and although it is quite likely that wo may try the experiment in one or two of tho systems-mentioned, it will, of course, renuiro tho test of timo to ascertain which systems will be satisfactory and which will result ifi the greatest saving of cost when erected in large numbers.

"In conclusion, it inay.not be out of placo for mo to point out the great advantage from all points of view of building a new village or suburb close to a railway line, but outside any existing ljorough, and on what is now merely farming land. In the first place such land might be purchased at, say, XOO per acre, and by the aggregation of a large number of houses in the new village, with the transport facilities that would naturally follow, the vn'uo of tho land would automatically bo increased several times, perhaps to X'so or .£6O per section. By purchasing the land near a railway line, but not near «n existing railway station, nor in an existing borough or town district, it would he an easy matter to arrange for a railway stoppingplace, and to set up a separate local district. / 1 "In laying out the village, the usual town-planning ideas could then be carried out, including the differentiation.between the main—chain wide—thoroughfares, ;md side residential streets, the allocation of factories to a proper ijuarter of the town, making provision for recreation reservos, agricultural belt, and so on. I commend the suggestion to your attention." Open Spaces in Cities. Mr. C. J. l'arr, C.M.G., M.P., read a paper entitlod "I'arks, Playgrounds, and Open Spaces." He said that the past half-century had been characterised by an extraordinary migration of people from the country to the town. In our I'lotvded cities, open spaces for the recreation of the multitude were as necessary for public heultli' and comfort as drainage, a water supply, or roads. t In most of our cities thero were )*ot 'nearly enough recreation reserves, and in almost every city the park spaces were unevenly or badly distributed. Modern town-planning principles required that within half a mile of every dwelling there should be a public reserve .for the recrcation of every citizen and his family. A largo park suoh as a city belt had its special uses, but tho true principle was to bring the parks to the poople, and not to have them so far away as to be practically unusable.

Parliament Bhould legislate that where new towns or new suburbs were being created, at least ten per cent, of the area to bo subdivided ahould bo allotted or reserved for public open spaces. Not only in residential suburbs, but also in tho industrial areas this provision shoul'd bo made, so that workers might have within easy distance of their work places of rest and recreation. Children's playgrounds should be provided in all tho residential areas, wituin half a mile of all houses. Wherever possible, existing faulty conditions should be remedied by reconstruction.

Mr. Parr quoted the following figures to show the percentage of ciry areas devoted to parks in the five principal centres of the Dominion:—Wellington, 20.5 per cant.; Christchurcli, 8; Invercargill, U.I; Dunedin. 4.7; Auckland, 7.8. By way of instituting a comparison, he also quoted the percentages for tho larger /Australian cities, which were as follow—Melbourne, 2C.G per cent.; Adelaide. 53.5; Brisbane, 8; Perth (including endowment lauds that might be built on late), 37.0. The tables proved, he contended. that in the matter of park spaces the New-. Zealand cities had nothing to boast of. It was obvious that this coun-' try had been altogether short-sighted in dealing with Iho problem. Ho wished to emphasise tho necessity of providing playing grounds for sports, ns our athletic fields were already being found quite insufficient for, the needs of the voung people. The children's model playground, properly supervised and equipped with swings, slides, sandpits., and wadingpools, assumed' a wider importance than that of a mere placo of recreation. It became a nuraory in which good citizenship was promoted. In laying down guiding principles for the establishment of playgrounds in New Zealand, it must bn considered that paid and permanent supervision was absolutely necessary. A children's playground would not fulfil its functions unless there was I rained supervision over it, and organisation of the games. It was held by Amevioan authorities that .while the school playground hnd Its functions, it could never equal or vie with a scparale municipal playground in widespread utility. Mr. Parr concluded with a note upon tho value of large open spaces in or close to the city-spaces retaining as far as possible their natural features, and set apart for the recuperation of the people.

THE FINAL SESSION "IJNIVKRSm" AM) TOWN-IT,AN-NING." Mr. C. E. Mae.liay (Mayor of Wanganui) presitlcd over the final session of tho conference, which was held last evenling. The Chief Justice (Sir Robert

Stout) and the Hon. G. W. Russell occupied seats upon tho platform. In a paper on "The Relation of tjic University to Town-planning," the Chief Justice (who is also Chancellor of .the Now Zealand University) observed that just as higher education had been diffused. so had town improvement advanced. Tho University, so far as its income would allow, had not overlooked the need of improved dwellings and improved surroundings in our towns. Auckland University Collego had instituted a department of architecture. Tho New Zealand University had also started workers' educational classes. Behind town-planning must stand the brainy, skilled, and educated architects, and the scientifically-trained horticulturist. The University set up a standard of higher education, and passed tho lorch of learning from hand-to-hand until all the dark places of the earth were - illuminated. Nothing that tended to tho improvement of humanity was foreign to tho University. It might be used now to help forward tho new renaissance that had come with the encouragement and promotion of all that tended to a better civic life and to better and more beautiful surroundings. Town-planning was a practical outcome of University teachings. Mrs. R. L. Baume said that tho public schools afforded an opportunity for the inculcation of town-planningi principles in the citizens of to-morrow. Town-planning should not be taught as a school subject, but tho child at school should be surrounded by an environment that would exercise an influence for good. A mean school made a mean child; and only if the schools were mado what they ought to bo would the best results from the town-planner's point of view be attained. The speaker stressed tho need for tho more liberal financing of education in this country. Sho contended that tho people themselves wore to blamo for tho present state of affairs, becauso thev did not demand with sufficient earnestness that it should be changed. Everything was theirs for the asking, if they would only ask long enough and strongly enough. , Miss N. E. Coad urged that the housing problem waS intimately connected with tho problem of education. Better housing! meant better health for the children, and better health moant greater efficiency in education. She considered that in future greater care should be exercised in the planning of schools. She did not know why in the planning of schools for secondary education, boys received so much more consideration than girls. In Wellington, the .Boys' Collego had 50 aores of ground attached to it, the Girls' College 1 acre 3 roods 1 pole. She could not tell why it should bo so. The Hon. George Powlds agreed that the 6ohools had an- important part .to play in the inculcation o£ town-planning ideals. Ho wished to seo more effort expended upon tho beautification of school grounds. The Education Department, lie would remind the conference, at proBent subsidised funds donated for the beautifying of schools and school grounds, lie would like -to seo the country school the social centre of the district in which it was situated. Tho school should be made useful to tho adult as well as, to the child. Example ivas bettor than precept, and the cult of beauty in the school buildings and school grounds would have its effect upon the young. Mr. A. R. Atkinson submitted that the teacher who moulded tho next generation wu.s me greatest lowif-planner of all. Tho secret of town-planning was to catch the citizens young and train them aright. Tho' elements of public duty should bo instilled in the mind of the child, from the earliest years. 110 envied the schoolmaster tho opportunities ,ho had. The spirit of vandalism, destruotiveness, and irreverouce was Bomothing that tho schoolmaster had to correct in those entrusted, to his care.

Mr. H. A. Parkinson believed that tho school was destined to occupy a far greater place in the national life than it did to-day. Ho wished to see better playing facilities provided for the joung, and si better use made of the facilities, lie also hoped that the future would bring a greater recognition of tho social valuo of tho school. There must be unity of control between the civic and tho educational authorities. The executive and tho guiding authorities must 'in future go hnjid in hand, so that such omissions as Miss Coad had referred to might not ocour. •Air. de la Mare pointed out that this oountry spent more annually upon alcohol, tobacco, and tho totalisator than it did upon education. lie urged that better financial provision for education must be made. At the conclusion of tho general business of tho conference, Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., moved a resolution .thanking the Minister of Internal Affairs (tho Hon. G. W. Russell) for having called the delegates together. Mr. Parr alsp expressed tho gratitude of delegates to Mr. Hurst Seager for tlie great organising work he had done. The resolution was carried by ncelamation. Tho Hon. G. W. Russell expressed the thanks of thfe Government lo Mr. Hurst Seager and to Mr. G. P. Newton (UnderSecretary to the Department of Internal Affairs) for what they had contributed to the cause of town-planning. Ho hoped that other conferences like the one just ended would be held in the provincial centres. Perhaps they might be ready a year hence for another national conference. It would be' his duty as Minister to bring before Cabinet the proposals of tho conference. , Cabinet could, out of the unauthorised vote, agree to appoint a town-planner, and lie would therefore bring the question of the appointment before Cabinet without, waiting for Parliament. He had been struck bv tho ability shown by (lie women delegates to the conference, and ho was reminded of Mr. Massey's practical promise that tho disabilities preventing women from faking a seat in Parliament would be removed. The closo of tho conference was marked by the singing of the National Anthem. COMMITTEE UEPOETS* During the day the committee set np to consider the improvement of towns and cities and to' consider reserves, parks and domains, reported that its referenco was so wide that it had been unable to discuss details. The committee recommended to the conference a resolution urging that on the passing of the Townplanning Act it should bo mado compulsory, when any area exceeding five acres wn.s subdivided, for the owner to make over to the local bedv 10 per cent, at least of tho total saleable area to be subdivided.

The roport wns adopted. The committee appointed to consider "Town-planning as it Affects the Arts, the Sciences, and tho Crafts," presented a report comprising the following recommendations: That the Education Department Ixi urged to institute in the "School journal!" a serial? of elementary illustrated j articles nnon the subject of town-plan-1 ning; tlia't whatever was available of I the present town-planning exhibition be | shown in various towns of the Dominion,J when applied for, and that the Govern-, mont bear tho cost. Tho committee af-1 firmed the principles laid down by Mr. j W. If. Montgomery in discussing the erection of memorials to our soldiers. The report was adopted. A committee report wns adopted in which tho following recommendations were made:—Larger arena for school sites and plavine fields in all sparsely settled parts of the Dominion; all existing school siles should bo so enlarged as to have adequate playing areas and "ardon spaces: stoiis should be taken to exhibit to the school children of the Dominion lantern slides descriptive of.townplanning schemes; that in nil reserves in urban areas special sites for children under school age should be allocated; school playgrounds should be available under proper supervision, for the children of tho neighbourhood at all times: greater attention should be paid to shidy of school architecture: removal of usly fences; and that the commit lee. should rocommend to the University Senate that town-planning be added lo the curriculum.

Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch has received news of the death from pneumonia of his only son, Major Devil Brian QuillerCouch,' M.C., K.F.A. Major QuillerCouch, who w;is 2d years old, was eerv- j ing with' the Army of Occupation in | Germany. Major Quiller-Couch was ! educated at Winchester and Trinity, Ox- j lord, lie stroked the losing trial eight , at Oxford in .December, 1011. 'three, months previously he had a narrow escape from drowning in a boating accident off Vowoy, in which Mr. hdward Atkinson, the commodore of the Fowcy i Yacht Club, lost liis life. \