The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1911. TOWN PLANNING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 20 July 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, JULY 20, 1911. TOWN PLANNING.

Tun beauty and the .symmetry of the t-mviis and villages such as al>nun.d' in the United Stales of America, and also in the Western Countries of "Europe-, have been commented upon and eulogised hy' many travellers. Even the fleeting views and illustrations that wo, <in these younger countries, get in the moving pictures (which, in a manner of speaking, have familiarised all of u* with foreign lands and scones), show out this admirable- aspect of American civic- surroundings. Comment upon tli(. benefits of town planning. and the present beauties of some of the American cities, was made- at Kii.V-imn t.li-'; week by the I'ew .Mr -Mc-ivenzic. who has returned lately from an extended visit to America and other countries afa ; \ This is a present fruit of the la'--o-'.r.s of people v. h" e are n< v done. There is, iu .short, and bece, a will' l i ' :'i!-i;' 1 in Xort-h Ami/ica of duties owed to the towr people by i. 't- i:■ ci--i • representatives; and the admirable fruit if this is the striking beauty and comely aspect -of the great majority : f the towns and citie.s. This we repeat, has been reached tlir(.ii<r!i the forethought of bygone eivie administrators. Here in Xew Zealand there is little if any of this admirable aspect of civic life discernible; but t':e:-e is no go;;,! reason iu this why b•ginning longer should lie diiaye i. We are pleased indeed to ivivt the! in Wellington (designed for a fishing village and gr*wn a cit»\ wil'y nilly). a movement to carry o ii a

comprehensive town planning so.-lier o is being fox tr-red !iy the. Kwr.ii ■; Post, aided, by ;i fivw ciVic e-»tJiur;-j ia.sts. WJnVh fact brings homo ! > us the advisnbleness of having .son. , steps tj a .similar end taken in th:; district. Wellington's rect'ficati'o •; of (;l;[- bl:m:!i'i\s will ht >•.!.>.. ■:....[ o - pen.sive, of very necessity, in eon.< - qitoi'co of ti'.o to-.-tiioii; :',:';l sivo ,u;n)\vtli and misgroutlis of Xi .r Zea!n: , .;l'.s e.ipitaJ. Hei\\ hinvovei', in I.p\in ajid Sliannon, are two ■C.jvolopinir towns in which some \ve''do'Vi.scd .scheme of -improvement could ho laid down and adhered to without Norious exrjpnse and Avithout siny great disturliauce of present conditions. Tiiio advis«hleness of doing soine■tJiin<r to fmnrard tlm movement for town planning in Levin was (mentioned last: week, liy Mr l\ W. Goklvsmitli, at a meeting of the Levin Horticultural Society. 'llho mutter was postponed to a future time, but the proposal found a degree of favour; and we have 'our hopes till at ore long some definite scheme -will ho propounded. There arc many aspects calling for consideration in the laying down of n definite scheme, a lull an aid to final and favourable decision will he <a full and free discussion 'of ideas and plans. If any of our readers, either in Shannon or Lovihi, have any views on the ■matter which they are disposed to write down, we will he prepared 1 to print them at reasonable length and facilitate general discussion o £ them in our columns. If a definite plan can bo .arranged and adopted today, the generation of to-d-ay may earn for themselves a good name and a kindly regard amongst tho generations yet to come, and receive as a. present reward the sense of .satisfaction which springs from cvevy altruistic action.