TOWN-PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 211, 1 June 1920, Page 6

TOWN-PLANNING

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION

EARLY-LEGISLATION TO BE SOUGHT

Tho annual meeting of the Wellington Town-Planning and Municipal Electors' Association was held last night. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt presided, and there was a very good attendance. Before tho business eomo items of entertainment weie provided by Misses M'Goldie, Kemp, and Inch. The annual repoTt expressed disappointment that when Mr. Massoy brought down his Housing Act of last session it. contained no provision for Stato assistance for public utility societies on tho lines adopted in. England and elsewhere. It was hoped, in view of promises received from members of Parliament, that this vear a Town-Planning Bill would bo brought down and passed. A revised constitution of tho association hnd been- prepared to :n«ko proper provision for the town-planning side of the association's work. Satisfaction was recorded with the report of tho City Engineer on his return from abroad, and tho hopo was expressed that ho would use his influence with the council to put into practice some of tho ideas he hnd formed relating to town-planning principles, ' The Reserves and Forestry Committee made reference to previous attempts on the Town Belt in various schemes-notably that for the building of schools on the belt. Tho committee urged that no part of the belt should he enclosed for any purpose, lho original area of the belt, the committee said, was 1519 acres, and of tins no less than 410 acres or oven more had been annexed. Tho proposal of the committee was that a proper plan of the Town Belt should be prepared without delay, so that the whole area might bo systematically developed. Tho balancesheet showed a. debit of £Sl, but the opinion of the executive was that in view of heavy expenditure the financial outlook was hot alarming. The chairman.moved the adoption of the report and'balance-sheet. He said that the first step in town-planning progress must be a' Town-Planning Act. A conference was to bo held in a few days, ■ and the delegates would go to the Prime Minister and other Ministers with a request for legislation during the coming session. One of'tho first appointments that should be made on the passing of the Act was that of a qualified expert in town-planning. In tho very forefront of the association's programme was the housing question. The association had given warning of.the shortage long ago, but. only recently had the warning been heeded.' The Government had voted millions for houses, but the houses were coming, very 6lowly. In England, too, the Government had promised a big scheme, but had failed to carry it through. The authorities in England had fallen back on private enterprise,' offering subsidies to anyone for tho building of houses. If public utility .societies were recognised in New Zealand there would be great progress in house-building. He advocated also the demarcation of the cil(y into zones, and as reason for this he pointed to instances of valuable land in Wellington used unprofitably. Great economy could be effected by such demarcation in tho saving of street space, street wear, and lighting and drainage services. He hoped tho incoming committee would press tlie City Council to have the eiV mapped into zones. He emphasised the I need for more funds for the association. I Mr. H. C. South seconded the motion, , which was carried without further comment.

The 'proposed new constitution vrat explained by Mr. H. F. Von Hanst. The name, lie said, would be shortened to the Wellington 'Town-Planning Associn tion. He told briefly tlio main objects of the association ns outlined in the constitution.

The revised constitution -was adopted. The election of officers resulted as foU loirs:—President, Mr. A. Ix-igh Hunti vice-presidents, Dr. Plntts Mills and Mr. P. Meadowcroft; executive, Messrs. H, C..South, E. C. Jack, and ,T. ]?... Salt, treasurer. Mr.. J. L. Arcus; auditor, Mt, E. W. Hunt.

At nn interval in the business a film, prepared bv Picture Supplies Ltd.. wan screened. The ,picturo was of sium*, mean quarters of WeUiiurton, wit'i shrgested improvements,