NAMING THE STREETS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 90, 11 July 1879, Page 2

NAMING THE STREETS.

Enquiries are frequently made as to why the streets in Foxfcon have never yet been named. The omission, is a singular one, and considering the age of the township, it is somewhat surprising that hitherto no move has been made in the direction referred to. The chief street is called by that very general appellation, Main-atreet, which is in almost every young township applied to the road along which most of the traffic passes. Then we have " The Avenue," "The Tramway," and such other senseless and unmeaning names, which are about as far from correct, as the main thoroughfare of "Wellington is in being called Lamb: ton Quay. During the last few years, several blocks of land have been cut up, and in almost every case where a new streat has been

opened, it has been christened after the cognomen of the owner of the land. Of course no one has r.ny right to interfere with the name any settler may choose to give a struot he is opening through his land, but if it b intended to hand that street over to the public, then the public body that is to take chargo of it should certainly have the right of veto upon the name. Unless some method is adopted, we shall have a heterogeneous collection of names similar to those now in vogue ai Wellington, where the tympanum of one's eat frequently receives a shock at being asked for Abel Smith-street, Waring Taylor* street, or some such absurd name. Who was Abel Smith ? We really.don't know, and don't care. For the information of the future/ historian of the Colony, we vnafy explain that Mr Waring Taylor is a very estimable gentleman who was a merchant in Wellington, and acted as Speaker for the' Provincial Council. I Jut in a generation or two, when " the common lot "' has been passed through, these names which i are purely local and of mushroom ? endurance, will be wonders to the ' people wbo may use them from force of habit. In some parts of New Zealand, a common sense plan has been adopted. For instance, the i streets iv Invercargill are named aftee the rivera in. Scotland; in i Napier, the literature of Great Brtain has been levied upon, and the streets are named after the great poe's and ' writers of the old country ;in Nelson, that great warrior's battles and victories give the titles to the thoroughfares. The plan adopted in America, is to name the streets after the ordinal numbers, as First, Second, Third, &c. We would suggest some such sensible plan as any one of the above to the Local Board in naming the streets of Foxton. The streets i should be named, and in order find i out what would be the best course ; to adopt, a Committee might be appointed to obtain the advice and asi sistance of gentlemen outside the i Board.