Civic Improvement

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 234, 30 June 1944, Page 4

Civic Improvement

Sir, —Mr. H. R. Searle, chairman of the Greater ‘Wellington Electors’ Association, when he outlined his civic programme yesterday, spoke in the same strain as his Worship the mayor of Wellington, Mr. Appleton, has done on several occasions before and after his election to the high post he now occupies. These sentiments can only remain expressions of hope and opinion till our whole system of eivic government is changed. Rates will rise, and mistakes in city development will 'be perpetrated, till we adopt scientific methods of administration similar to those of 'London, New York, and thousands of cities on the other side of the world'.

Wellington and Greater Wellington are governed by engineering departments who do extremely well under the system under which they are working. Wellington and Greater Wellington should be brought under one supreme head, well versed in scientific modern city development. Till this is done innumerable mistakes in city development are inescapable. It is up to ever ythinking citizen in the Greater Wellington area, for their own and their children’s benefit; to insist that our “ methods of administration be changed for the benefit of all concerned 1 . We live in an age of progress; are we to lag behind the rest of the world?—l am, etc., W. STUART WILSON. Wellington, June 20.