BRIGHTER CITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26628, 26 November 1947, Page 4

BRIGHTER CITY

PLANS HAMPERED LACK OF PAINT AND LABOUR TRAMS RECEIVE ATTENTION When in less than three months’ time the city receives its main flood of Centennial visitors there will be many people who will take their eyes off the cavalcade of floats, the decorated pylons, and the bursting pyrotechnics to look closely at the city itself. It is unfortunate that, through no fault of the people themselves, the city will not be looking its best. Shortages of labour, materials, and working hours will prevent the painting and renovation of buildings and the general tidying of city parks, reserves, and gardens from being completed before February. Representatives of the painting trade stated yesterday that it would be quite impossible to cope with the rush of work that was required to be done before the Centennial celebrations. The shortage of raw materials for paint was as critical at the present time as at any period since the' war started, the manager of one firm told the Daily Times yesterday. In addition, there were insufficient men to meet the great demand for painting. Even; If there were sufficient materials available, he said, it would not be possible .to cope with the work offering because of the shortage of tradesmen. Desire to Co-operate

“We know that there are scores of people who wish to have their premises pained before the Centennial celebrations commence,” a prominent painter stated, “arid yet, through no fault of their own, it will not be done. In addition, restrictions are still in force preventing us from painting cement facing. Consequently, concrete buildings will have to remain unpainted. I can say that people are trying to smarten up their city for its he added. “ Many people are doing their own painting at week-ends, but in many instances they are being hampered through the difficulty of obtaining paint.” A frequent subject of complaint by residents advocating a “ brighter Dunedin campaign ” is the city transport. Although it is open to question whether Dunedin trams are more in need of paint than those of Christchurch or Wellington, the City Transport Department is making every endeavour to have its vehicles in good order for the Centennial year. City Trams and Buses

The engineer-manager, Mr L. C. Greig, stated yesterday that his department was making a special effort to ensure that the mechanical condition and appearance of city trams and buses would be as good as possible when the visitors arrived. A programme of overhaul and renovation was started over a year ago, he said, and by the time the Centennial traffic began 18 trams would have been specially overhauled and 14 bus engines given a new lease of life. EiPht trams and 14 buses wquld have been given new coats of paint, while four more buses would have been smartened up. A thorough cleaning down, outside and in, by scrubbing and the use of a specially prepared cleanser was being undertaken to improve both the .appearance and the hygiene of the vehicles. This treatment would be given regularly, Mr Greig added. “I am satisfied that everything possible is being done to brighten up the city for the Centennial, ’ said the president of the Otago Amenities Society, Mr G. Simpson. “Painters and plasterers are working as hard as possible, and the appearance of the city is definitely improving. Lack of materials, labour and the restrictions are naturally affecting what can be done to make up the leeway of the war years. “I feel sure that the Reserves Department will do its share in improving the city’s appearance,” Mr Simpson added. “I realise that it is hampered by lack of funds and labour, but I am confident everything possible will be done. Dunedin residents, too, can be relied upon to have their properties in good order for the important year ahead.”