TOWN PLANNING.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 May 1919, Page 5

TOWN PLANNING.

HON. G. W. RUSSELL'S VIEWS.

NEED FOR LEGISLATION

SUBURBAN RAILWAY SCHEME

WELLINGTON, May 21

In the course of his presidential address at the Town Planning Conference today, the Hon. G. W. Russell outlined the history of the movement In New Zealand. He referred to the introduction, by himself, in 1918, of a Town Planning Bill in the House of Representatives It had not been possible during the war to undertake leglislation upon emany matters which were of pressing concern. Now, however, that the war had. been ended the time had come to uomestie problems which called for settlement upon scientific lines. In the first rank of these he placed the objects for which the conference had been called. Th Minister proceeded to allude to the growth of city population. In 1881 the country or rural. population was 291.238 or 59.44 per cent, and • the borough population 194,981 or 39.80 per cent. At the 1916 census the figures were boroughs, 585,306 or 53.24 per cent., and the counties 501,259 or 45.59 per cent. If the suburban population in the counties were included the borough population would be about 60 per cent of the total. AMALGAMATED OP BOROUGHS

Continuing the Minister quoted figures showing the growth of population and the increase of unimproved values in the leading towns. In several of these instances, he said, the increases had come about by the amalgamation policy which was warmly to be commended a.s tending to bring the suburban districts under a higher form of municipal government. It would, however, be understood how the problems of town planning were accentuated by the extension of cities and towns which was certain "to continue. The wily land speculator in selling farms and suburban areas for rcsidenta! purposes had taken little or no. 'account of whether his sales and resultant profits fitted in with either the layout of a city crAhe adaptability of the land he sold to drainage or water supplj 7 . Such questions did not trouble him. ' His primary object had been to secure the enormous increase in value., that had been obtainable through the necessity of workmen residing as closely as possible to their employment. It was time this was checked by legislation to prevent the selling of residential areas, except, under a provision that the land was fitted into a clearly defined scheme for the future. Further, he proposed that from every block of land sold for residential purposes, there should be set aside by the owner as a gift to ithe people the necessary reserves for public utilities such as schools,' pbsst offices, parks, recreation grounds, and open spaces. The property owner who was going to draw large profits from the community must, in his opinion, be made responsible - for the needs of that community.

# DWELLINGS FOR WORKERS "I am satisfied that - this country must embark upon a great scheme for housing the people," said Mr. Russell, "and that we must talk in millions on this subject if we are to have happy and contented people. Revolution and •anarchy are not bred in the houses of men who have happy homes and delightful gardens. Its spawn comes from the eroivded tenement, squalid environments, and slum. In Britain the railways have depleted the rural districts and built up cities and Can we so adapt our transit systems in order to encourage the spreading of the people out fron\ the cities' rather than forcing them into

towns

ilie cities and towns? I think wc can. 1 therefore venture to assert that what is known as the model system, oi' tramway and railway traffic must be applied to our railways and tramways, if we are to encourage ithe people to live at a distance from their employment, and tlms prevent overcrowding of the towns. The system is a simple one, ami can be briefly described as a method of railway charge by which, instead of a mileage basis, a universal fare is charged within a fixed area."