CULLING OF TREES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 139, 29 June 1937, Page 4

CULLING OF TREES

Mr. gbbitt Says '-DntrmctioB Most Daplorable" CENOTAPH SETTING It is generally nndersfcppd that th© trees which were cut doWn last week in the Civic Square were planted in Mr G. Ebbett's time as Mayor, aud he was asked this morning if they were plqnted there for any special purpose or with any particiilar objeet and whether their removal was of importh ance. - . "I do not think they were planted in my time but I nmst have had some!* thing to do with it, beeause I remember tliat I personally seleeted the kind of tree to be planted," said Mr Ebbett. "That plaee was selepted for the Oenqtaph, after many had been eonsidered, by tjie Falleji Soidiers' Memorial Committee, and it was prected and the trees werq pjanted by a subeqmmittee cpnsisting „ gt that tiwe of Messrs Wm, Hart, F, Perrin, th§ latf j\JLr J, g. Cglebourng apd is.y^elf a# chairman, '"It was the idea pf the sub-qpni-mittee that the spot immeJiateiy §urrounding the Cenptaph should have an atmosphero of its own," said Mr Ebbett.- "It is not exftctly easy to dqscribq hut keepipg the objeet of tha memorial in mind it cari be imagined. "We foresaw that the rest pf tht block might beqome a playground Or a publiq place of some "kind, and wa desired tp create a definite liue of demarcation between this corner and tb« yeihainder of the groimd and at tha same time provide a suitable backgr,ound for the monument. "We tried to prqmotq a measure ai reverence and respect for this particular corner, and wes tbought tha* its object, a memorial for the "everlasting glpry of our war dead, would in itself help largely to sanctify the immetliate loouUty. We .rousidered no-one wpuld desire to see "children shouting and gambplling aud clamouring reuna tfie base of it. Qbject of the Treei. "To assist to this end and at . the. sam® time to provide the haokground," M> Ebbetb fdd.ed, "wp planted this line of trees ; trees that wpuld .grqw high enough but not 8Q or 1QQ *^eet high, evergreens that with age would not becpme unsightly bare trunks at the hottom. ' . "It had become an ideal situation, an'd l havo often lpohed at it and thqught, pprhaps with SQm^' vanity, that it was a jpb well done, I don't knqw where the neCesSity was— I can't see any — but I think the destructipn pf the trees is most deplorable. "Of eourse, it is wise to plan ahead, and if this were an area 20 tiines u great there are experts who could. posSibjy make some useful suggestions. In a paltry job of this kiqd it fhonld first be determiued what ig and what. is not going into the square. Then three or four praciiqal men with common sense, 4Toin the council," cbaferting with an architect-^there arp half a dpzen in this town very cqmpetent to draw a plan shi»ving areaa and distances — would do the job ten timea b*tter than auy bulsidep With no local knowledge, "I can't understand why there haa beqn tpa mnch eecrecy and gesuoaligieBt about this. Has the public ever been tqld it was intended' to destroy theee trees F I believe it has been prqpQsed that the Ceno j iph be shifted. . "Can the ratepayers who pay and whose property this is, and th© bnrgesses who, are all interested, be told now what move is intended takod Mr Ebbett. "Is the library going info tha square? It so, where? Is it proposed to shift or meddle with the memorial? If it is, I think we can promiia some opppsition, No Qthsr Comparable Sita> "Placed where» it can never be a nuisance or an obstruction, yet so close to the town's eentre that it ia in view of everybody every day and in |he sight of every passer-by on read or raii, no place inside this borough ia comparable, in suitability, locality or adaptability with the existing site. "I know its appearance has been • largely spoiled by this bandalismj 14 years wprk has been undoue in poi many more minutes, but trees can be planted again. . - "If it is propose'd to interfere with s it, I hope the voice qf all returiied soidiers will be heard with ha uneertain sonnd, and if A vptq ©f hurg©g|ps were taken to-morrow I would bp surprised if there were not a majority pf 50 to 1 against either suefi intoxrerence or the destructipn of the trees. "If it is not proposed tp meddle with it, then what reasons are there for destroying the trees?" eonclnded Mr Ebbett, "I hppe the Mayor and qouncil are not as bankrupt in excuspp as the bor jugh gardener appeurg to bf."