SCENERY DESECRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 1 August 1907, Page 3

SCENERY DESECRATION.

DEPUTATION TO THE MAYOR. At tlio last meeting of tha Borough Council the Western Park Committee asked authority to accept an offer from a local syndicate to erect a galvanised iron fenco aloug the Morlcy street fro/irflge of the P.irk, the work to be done without cost to the Park authorities, provided tli'e syndicate was given the right to advertise on both aides of the fence for a period of ten years, and that no otlicir fence must be erected alongside during Urnt period. A motion to

Accept tho oiler was rejected in favor of an amendment deferring consideration until next meeting, in order to give councillors an opportunity of viewing the site.

During tho week the councillors have been waited upon by the chairman ot the Park Board, and have, or most of them have, signed a document agreeing to tho erection of the fence under these conditions. On the assurance of this, it was staked that the syndicate was about to proceed with the erection of the fence. Hearing of this, several me.n-

tiors of Hie Scenery Preservation Snciety yesterday ajranged to wait upon Ilia Worship the Mayor in order " o . enter a protest against tlio proposal. The deputation was rewivod in l.he Mayor's room, and was Introduced i.f Mr W. A. Collis, borough eouncilljr find President of the Society. The. deputation consisted of Messrs 0. W. Govett, W. L. Newman, 0. Carter, W. H. Skinner, and F. Carrington. ?Ir Oollis in his introduction, explained that as he had not favored the scheme ho had had the matter deferred for a while. He had signed the note agreeing to the erection of the fence simply because he recognised the vast amount of work done by the Western Parkpeople, and ho had no desire to hamper them in their efforts to bring tho work to completion. Sir Govett said the Scenery Preservation Society had always striven to protect seenorv, and to prevent its being injured. The Society looked on a park like the Western Park aa bei;ig particularly nnder their eye, and considered tliait no park should be treated in & manner different from that in which any private individual would treat his own private garden. If a private individual would like to have Ws fence painted or pasted all over with advertisements it would be reasonable to have a park treated {he same way. Years ago an attempt was made to have legislation passed to deal with this a lvertising question in this colony. In England and on the Continent beautiful i Keonerv was spoiled by advertisements ! stuck up in all directions, nmd he was grieved Indeed that a start on tb?ao lines was being made in this park, made at considerable expenditure and trouble, n.nd destined to become in time n very (beautiful place- Whilst he did not think the Council should look at this in the light of a business proposition, he might be excused for pointng out that \tJie Council might not be a gainer by giving up the control of this advertising for ten years to more or less irresponsible people. And in ten years ilie fence would become somewhat dingy and worth very tittle, and the advertisements by tliat time would need >epainting. He thought the Council should have had longer notice of the intention to move in this matter, fo that public opinion could have been exercised. He altogether objected 1o the obtaining of signatures as hai? been done, for councillors would feel bound to stand by what they had signed, thus doing away with the advantage of discussion. The deputation would ask Councillors, notwithstanding anything they might have signed ns individuals, to reconsider the matter. If after full consideration it was thought desirable that this public pirk should bo disfigured with advertisements he would be sorry that they had such a Council, although they might complain of nothing but the Council's want of taste.

Mr Skinner, speaking as one greatly interested in the park and as an old member of the Scenery Preservation Society, said lie could endorse Mr Gorett's remark". He had (thought that there would he time to introduce a .leputation to tho Council's ordinary meeting, but this ''round robin" had cut the ground away from them. The councillors had given their support without giving the matter full consideration, and had been swayed by the enthusiasm of the park people, who desired to have this fence erected before this coining important football mutch. Weste.-n Park would some day be a lovely Though it would never approach the Recreation Grounds in some respects, it was probably unequalled locally for its commanding outlook. lie mentioned the Wellington citizens' vigorous protest against the disfigurement of the cliffs out at Kaiwarra, and hoped that at the next Council meeting the CojnciUors would reconsider this question in all its bearings. "

The Mayor said ho ha<l quite overlooked the matter of interference with the beauty of ! t<he grounds, but nt last Council meeting he had doubted the power of the Council to enter into such an arrangement with the donors of t:ie fence. Not ono of the Councillors had mentioned the matter of disfiguration. Mr Newman suggested that if the Council had anything to be let or Sold or disposed of public notice should be given aud public competition invited. In answer to Mr Skinner, Mr Govett sad (that the use of advertising hoardings was specifically forbidden In connection -with the Recreation Sports Ground.

Mr Carter questioned whether '"io fence was needed except for advertising purposes. Tho Mayor said ho ha/1 always accepted the recommendations of <he Western Park managers, as a recognition of their undoubted energy. This was the first time on which their Judgment had been questioned. Mr Govett, in thanking His Worship, asked him to bring the matter unl>r the notice of the Councillors.