THE CITY OF WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 14, 29 April 1871, Page 2

THE CITY OF WELLINGTON.

The illumination ot the city with gas, and the other civic improvements now in progress, cannot fail to, improve its appearance in the eyes of our annual visitors, who frequently . relieve the tedium of their senatorial duties with rather caustic criticisms on the Empire City. The rigour of 'something worse than three months’ imprisonment that must shortly overtake poor Mr Reader Wood will be somewhat mitigated, and, if only the Ministry would give him a seat “ on those benches” with or without a portfolio (but with no uncertainty about the Ministerial allowance) it is now quite conceivable that he could manage to endure not only a thiee months’ but a perennial residence in the desert of Wellington.” It would be idle to disguise from ourselves, however, that many of the criticisms, although couched in needlessly offensive language, were not without foundation. The capital of the colony, there is no doubt, has not many of the social agreeables to be found in other cities of the colony. It may be said that we should not regard the whims or tastes of people who are merely passers-through, or who only put in an enforced residence of three months here. We do not, however, seek to sacrifice in any way the resident ratepayer for the chance visitor. What we advocate is the multiplication of all those social amenities, and of all those refined and refining amusements, usually found in capitals, which would render Wellington more pleasant to its own citizens in the first place, and more attractive to strangers in the next. But even taking the very lowest view of the case, we would not lose by going a little out of our way to please the latter. Whatever raises Wellington in popular estimation necessarily attracts to it visitors at least, if not permanent residents, to the direct benefit in many ways of all owners of property, and all descriptions of trade. There are many things quite easy of attainment that would have this tendency. The same spirit of enterprise that has been latelyexemplified in the formation of the Patent Slip and the Wellington Gas Companies, if only turned into this direction could work wonders. We do not see, for instance, how we should be without a theatre or a concert hall. We do not see how we should not have a beautiful botanic garden, and one, too, quite unique in its way, as all of beautiful that is to be found throughout the whole of New Zealand can be made here, and here only, to grow as well as in its native soil. Well laid out, and with seats interspersed, its walks might be thronged with visitors, never weary of gazing on the beauties all around them, or the magnficent prospects in the far distant horizon. Thanks to Mr Travers, an Acclimatisation Society has been instituted. May it not fall within the scope of its directors’ duties to see to it that (as in other New Zealand cities) the objects proper to the society are attained, as we believe they will most effectually, by adding to their a public park, garden, and promenade. We shall not at present pause to enumerate other directions, in which the city could be enriched with conveniences and amenities through private enterprise. We proceed to show what could be done by the colony. Anyone who has visited lately the Assembly Library must have been struck with the totally inadequate accommodation offered by the present building. The indefatigable librarian may be seen every day perplexed and baffled. The very book he holds in his hand may demonstrate that two bodies cannot occupy the same .space at the same time; but something almost as impossible is the problem set before him before be can decide where itis to go. Now ancient historyis substituted for modern poetry ; anon physics takes the place of metaphysics, if only the change will gain one quarter of an inch'in shelf accommodation. To him all literature presents itself as a simple question of size, and by this one standard must all books be tried. With him, emphatically, a great book is a great evil, and he must enviously read over the publishers monthly announcements of pocket' editions||and vade mecums. That he has succeeded .in making the most of the space at his command, wheie most people would have abandoned all attempt at classification in despair, a singb glance will suffice to show. But we cannot think the Government have;

given the matter sufficient attention. Surely they might have asked for a special vote for this purpose. We hope, at all events, that they will do so in the coming session. Members will see that they can no longer drink from the fountains'of knowledge or the rivers of pleasure with delight, to use well-known words (perhaps the unconscious source of Mr. Wood’s inspiration), “ which through this desert flow.” And now for our suggestion. Suppose a proper library were built, say ten times the size of the present one, what harm would it be to throw it open as a public reading room, no books or papers given out ? Closed during the session, and at well-advertised intervals for the convenience of the librarian in the dischargeof his duties, it might all the rest of the year, under proper restrictions, be a source of intellectual improvement and refection to the whole community. Wellington, of course, would thereby gain most directly, but her gain would be no loss to any other part of the colony. The library is as much public property as the museum, and the one should be made the complement of the other. We should like to see the Government guilty of a.little extravagance in this direction. Of course they will be guided by members. But we do not know a better way of gaining the friendly votes of members than by steadily carrying out those great improvements on which we have entered. When we can show all our streets kerbed and channeled, the dust laid, and the sewers cleaned with a flow of water, ,and the lamps lit up with gas, we can then, having dope our part, ask them to do theirs. Nor can we think there will be much difficulty. If, then, Wellington had all these attractions —added to those it now possesses, viz., water, a public garden and promenade, a theatre, and a readingroom and library on an extensive scale, it would attract strangers whom it now repels, and would give its citizens benefits which would far more than compensate for any additional taxation that might be required.