PUBLIC GARDENS.

Southland Times, Issue 1579, 17 May 1872, Page 3

PUBLIC GARDENS.

Sir, — I am again reluctantly appealed to by my friend *■• Senex." He wishes to apologize for what he calls a deficiency, viz., that of letterwriting, but, as I understand from his own manifestation, to have failed in producing a plan suitable to be understood either by professional or non* professional. However, he accepts^ the recourse of cowardice, that of assuming purple dignity ; for example — " He wUI drop a hint which wUI make the CouncU pause." Lastly — "I have set the ball rolling, and believe the Council will not now throw away the public money on the Puni Creek project." I should imagine from the august breath that pervades these two sentences, that he either has the confidence of the Council, or, that there must be an excessive development of self-esteem to imagine he haa power to awerve a whole Council. I may as well inform "Senex" that he is wrong from beginning to finish, both in the amount of land contained in the gardens, the tendency that may accrue from such an evanescent letter, and as t0 my being a geranium grower. Iso far admit that I own one or two flowers of that sort, but do not grow them for emolument. And again, I am a competitor for the designs of the gardens. As regards the insurmountable barrier that thwarted " Senex" in his designs of the creek, I have no hesitation in saying that the plans that are furnished wiU in all probability satisfy (if accepted) his curiosity when carried into effect. I feel patrioticaUy sorry that the public were not in possession of your knowledge of futurity when the Government were lavishing public moneys years gone by. There might not have been auch a quantity of decayed and decaying timber at the Mokomoko, nor a second section required to have been built for the B. H. and I. Railway. But aa I aaid in my last letter, and I say so again, the gardens have a right to be made in those blocks of ground respectively set apart for that purpose. And I also ask whether it improves the town to have gardens in town or out of town ? Will those blocks of land that are now only aerving for depaaturing 'cattle, remain in that Btate when the gardena are uaed as a public resort ? No, Sir ! If you do not aow, you cannot expect to reap. And if you do not give inducement to purchasers, you must not expect to coffer the products, and this ia indirectly, aa I Bhould anticipate, the motive of the Municipality. — I am, &c, Z2XONI. 15th May, 1872.