The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5,1910 BEAUTIFYING LEVIN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 September 1910, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5,1910 BEAUTIFYING LEVIN.

liKVi.v. as tihe principal town ol H.firowlienua County, has a right to special help and regard from her citizens. Anything that can lie done to improve the standing and general appearance of the t'own ought to be the special care of the people and the people's representatives; to the end that this partly developed town may become a credit to its present inhabitants when their successors fill theii places in what will ho some tbiy a prosperous city. An eye to the, delights of future generation.s is not a popular policy in .some localities, but fortunately those towns which are run wholly with regard for present needs are infrequent. Fortunately, too, there is a- present reward, foi , those centres of population which are administered with mi eye to future requirements; tho partially developed scihemes for future betterment frequently give early pre-eminence to the towns which are carrying them out. and induce settlement in their vicinities of people who have passed by less progressive localities. A beautifying of tho streets of Levin is a policy which could bo pursued with profit as well as pleasure. A start was made on this admirable work a gwul many years ago, an<l to-day a part of Oxford street looks the better because of tho arboreal growth that bedecks it. This small stretch of trees, however, is not One hundredth part of what bin's town should possess in its streets some day.

The calm delights of beautifully shaded streets are no longer mere word pictures to people in these parts, for tho moving picture has shown to every one of us, most realistically, the artistic beauties of the Paris boulevards and the umbragc-ous beauties of the Berlin atrausses wiWv their magnificent stretches of lindens. These inheritances from long generations of forbears are dearly prized and deeply appreciated by the French and Germans, and to-c'fay the snirit of tree culture is so deeply implanted in the peoples of those and other European countries that aboriculture is practised most systematically. Here, in our newer country, wo have but small inheritances from our predecessors in regard to street adornments, andi ir tiro absence of such inducements to pursue a course 'of tree planting there is a disposition to proceed along lines strictly utilitarian. Nevertheless, a public duty to posterity lies upon the present generation which shoj|Jd not be shirked. The pioneer settlers of these iparts did \v.eli their duty when they

hacked down tho forest giants, cleared off the scrub, and raised a town and endowed it with the more essential conveniences. Theii immediate successors .have advanced our town a few stages more, until to-day we Jiave come to the parting of the ways, and the lino of aestheticism branches out from more utilitarianism.

We of to-day benefit from the foresight and endeavours of our "hamlet forefathers"; but what arc we doing for the generations who :iro to succeed us? There "is'" something being done, wo arc glad to say; the amateur gardeners of the town all are assisting to this end, and tho installations oi modern conveniences, for whioJ , tho ratepayers have pledged the credit of their own properties and the labours of those who are to come after them, will give benefits for many years to come. Hut there is need for pursuit of more permanent matters. Tho best of flower gardens are evanescent: and not oven Henry Hodley could put poetry into a high-pressure water supply. If the borough council and the citizens would move to give persistence to a street planting scheme the townsmen would derive immediate as well ns prospective benefits. The hotter development of private gardens also should be encouraged. In this connection wo are glad to hear thai a well known resident of Levin is prepared to do something substantial to encourage and popularise, the pursuit of gardening in those parts. Wo have not permission to publish details of tho offer at present, but we can say that if one or two more residents can bo induced to give similar oncourngonient to private gardening tho result will bo n general beautifying of the town that will enhance, its appearance: and give it greatei likelihood of attracting permanently to itself the retired merchants and business men of the cities, whoso presence in a town is desirable upon economic grounds, quite apart from other considerations.