The Globe. SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1878

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1406, 17 August 1878, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1878

Again an attempt is being made to destroy the inheritance of the public in the Domain by alienating a portion of it for the purpose of establishing an aristocratic and solect suburb. On a former occasion the specious argument used in favor of the erection of public buildings thereon was that it was for the public benefit. Now, it will bo observed, a now lino hab been struck out by the promoters of this precious scheme to fill up the breathing spaces of the city with buihlings. It is to increase the city rates, and to provide an endowment, that this is wanted to be done. But the real object is so transparent as to require but little penetration to see through it. An exclusive terrace is wanted on which the wealthy merchant or the wool king may erect his villa, secluded from the contiguity of smaller dwellings, besides having the advantage of being situated in one of the prettiestsi tos in and around Christchurch. Tho pill, however, is beautifully sugar coated with the mystic words " endowment." It is pointed out that by this means the city would receivo a handsomo endowment for some years, which would largely supplement tho rates now levied. But nothing is said of tho disfigurement or encroachment upon what will one day bo ouo of the greatest blessings that Christchurch citizens could possess. At tho rate the city is now progressing it is not too much to expect that the state of the sections in tho immediate vicinity of, and beyond, tho Domain, will bo built upon, and that the Park will bo hemmed iu on all sides by houses. Already a now town, ship has been formed on tho Eiccarton Estate, which will result at no distant date in the erection of residences thereon. It thereforo becomes imperatively necessary that all open spaces which are for tho preservation of public health should bo most jealously guarded. If this proposition were acceded to, there is nothing to prevent a similar encroachment being made beyond tho one now proposed. Once let tho thin end of tho wedge get in and there is no certainty as to the limit at which such a proposition will cease. Supposing that ibose who so energetically and successfully resisted the former aitexapt to place certain public buildings had 2iG,t been firm in their opposition, but had succumbed to the plausible excuso of it being for the public good, what would have been tho result even now ? "Why that wo should

have had the Domain covered in all directions with these buildings such as Boys' and Girls' High Schools, &c. There is no doubt whatever about that, and to each woidd have been required a certain amount of land for playgrounds, &c. Gradually the whole Domain would have been absorbed bit by bit, and the public would one day wake up to find themselves entirely shut out and treated as trespassers on land, which a wise forethought had granted to them for ever. So it will bo in this case if the least movement is made in favor of the proposition There is a certain section of the community who look with curious eyes upon the Domain and Park, who would fain have a finger in its disposal, but, fortunately, up to the present, the good souse of the citizens has prevailed, and they have steadily refused to part with one inch of their property, So wo hope will bo the case now. The proposition has been submitted to tho City Council for their consideratian. Of course, they of themselves have no power to decide the matter right off. All they could do woidd be to request the Government to bring in a Bill to give effect to such a proposal. But there is no doubt their approval would carry weight as the representatives of the citizens. Of this we have no fear. The members of tho City Council, we believe, have too much at heart tho interests of tho city to consent to such a scheme of spoliation. Wo give them credit for looking beyond the immediate present to tho prosperous future which must come to Christchurch, and doing so wo feel sure that so far as they are concerned, had they the power they would never give their voice in favor of a scheme, tho result of which would bo to injure the public in the future. But, as has been pertinently pointed out, the Domain and Park are not city property exclusively. They belong to the whole provincial district, and all have, therefore, a right to an equel voice as to their disposition. Hence it would bo manifestly unfair to the rest of the provincial distric for Christchurch to establish a suburb in the Park and draw therefrom the revenue derivable. The country and suburban districts have equally as much right to say to any speculator who may wish to erect terraces of houses "You can have leases for so many years," as the City Council. And this being so, though we feel perfectly sure that such a proposition lias no chance with the City Council, yet if they agreed to it practically their doing so would have no effect. We trust that such a feeling will bo shown by tho citizens on this matter as to effectually and for ever put an end to these attempts to alienate the people's inheritance, and to close up the only breathing space which will be available in a few years.

The following sentence appeared in a leading article published yesterday in our evening contemporary, a paper of which it is difficult to say whether its ingenuity in perverting truth, the puerile balderdash which it jerks out as comment, or its remarkable metaphorical high-Hying onungrainmatical wings, is the most admirablo: —" Whilst we have opposition remarkable for its rancour and unscrupulous misstatements of fact outside of Parliament, such for example as the assumption upon which an article in a contemporary was founded yesterday— that the standard or average price of a pair of ivorking man's boots ions seven shillings —the opposition in the House itself is of the most watery, insipid nature." As the Globe is the only local paper which expressed any opinion on the subject, this remark was, of course, intended to apply to this journal. By way of more clearly exposing the falsity of the charge made, we have italicised certain words in the above, which we ask our readers to contrast with what we did say on this particular point, namely : —" But as a matter of fact, working men's boots are invoiced as loio as seven shillings." And this, it is boldly assorted by our contemporary, is an assumption that the average price is seven shillings! Wo have really not the heart to enlarge upon this poor tyro's puny effort of mendacity. There is absolutely no pleasure in whipping babies even when they are very naughty. But as there is room for hope that this one is not yet a confirmed sinner, a little advice may not bo altogether unproductive of good, and we strongly recommend the writer referred to, whether ho be regular hand or casual contributor, to rosolve once for all not to sell truth for the purpose of making a point, nor permit himself, even at the command of a proprietor, to adopt a canon of immorality in public writing which lie would unhesitatingly condemn in private. So may he help to maintain the respect due to a respectable profession. Possibly when he is fully Hedged, has overcome his infant delight in bombast, and learned what is due to grammar and logic, he may even grow into an ornament of that profession.