BEAUTIFYING NEW PLYMOUTH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 95, 18 May 1909, Page 4

BEAUTIFYING NEW PLYMOUTH

*•"* 'TOE O'HILDRKXS' IDEAS ABOUT i ' TpV. MAYOR'S JSSSAV COMPETITION. - f M«4»i= \V. w. Smith a nd u - Jju " l ; who acted- as judges ol the * " uHMUiuod ■by scuoul cmlua-u 1 w ~ **>«*• have given U.en; i^n. jjw uf Viie ?ssa.v» iias Wow o "> 'teauiuy ><.'«' tO™outu.'' iwciH}"i»o easai 3 »«« « c " vea ' ° W,Ug M I genuine iuwt, i*. -" stu W3 £ prizes worn *.>"«■ **• """ iu 2U>a dear lue loUowing *>m ut plumes: Ist i/aflouu Bay, zuuc.amui», ' srd AU Desperanduln, -Hit tfuor, otu * Kingnshw, t>w Wiwioae; and tlicy were 1 written l>y JSiieen -UcUahey, .Uw:a Cor 1 jtSi and Margaret , t/orfcui genual,, ' jUsie White, Ullliaiu Crone, an u ivuiv. > ■ " Kewell tWest hud), placed m cha,. < order. '. . : . ■ The judges ,in making their awards the three selected lor the prizes are subject to your approval we : would, in 'addition, oner your «w»!i.p a lew general remarks on the iiierus oi the essays submitted to .you. Tue ; 'ybutUul essayists having given bo.tn earnest thought and.tiirie to-tne work, it may be of interest, to refer briefly jto' - the essays other than chosen for the tbrek .prizes.. tie' »üb- !*. .jeet matter referred'to with i r toy the children 'in their* little essays i comprise a wide range of subjects, wane jj their efforts are indeed of very lair j jnerit. First of all two have paid you a com- ;, ; pliment by stating that "a great improvement ias been made in the beautifying of New Plymouth smce Mr. Tisch lias been Mayor of this town." K Two thus express themselves: "The ; v first thing to. do is to complete the hari hour;" Xbe most beneficial improvement will be the completion ol our liarr ;. ibour, which will enable direct trading from Sydney—ours being the nearest Si -port." "My ideassaid another, "ot fir beautifying New Plymouth are that the streets might be asphalted,!and the place made more up-to-date by the citiv: jsens themselves." One writes dispar- ?- agiugly of the condition of the streets, whilst another writes that "visitors to

Jfew Plymouth capnot help noticing i the cleanliness of the streets." "It is, writes one, "the 'constant ■ aim of tne. " citizens of New Plymouth to make this town the prettiest in New Zealand, or, 'perhaps, the> fairest on the surface of the earth." One of- the essays written in a clear hand argues that "another way in which the town could be made more attractive is by the people keep-, ing their own gardens clean and seeing that their own children do not destroy any plants or shrubs that adom it." "How to'beautify our little town of Xew Plymouth is very mucn easier to " . »y than to do," "After all," writes another young 'aspirant; "it does not require much thinking, for there is Marsland Hill standing proudly before * us." All tlie essayists refer in apprcci- \ ativc the work which has beej , done on the historic Marsland Hill. In

l . justice, to the children we think that \ * some of the many suggestions embodied in' their essays for its improvement '-, should he accepted. The Scenery Pre- - ' . nervation Society of tarauaki has also \ received a. .word of .praise for "its good it work in the post." v The city fathers and the medical gen-

tlcnien of Xew. Plymouth should take <i heed to some, advice yiv.cn by the young Sf ciaayists. Referring to several gullies J-, and swamps in the town: "The water &'- standing in sonic" is described by oiu £*/ w "fever-breeding pools." A second § > prment the foul air worn rismg.-'' A. \- third writes: iln Devon Street West c , there is a swamp that wants filling in. - The sanitary inspector should see to this as soon aa p.. ..-, and not allow i -tfie death-rate to increase by neglect." A fourth expresses the opinion that "it > is not creditable for so energetic a borough as ours to allow swamp to ac- ;, , cumulate in this town." A fifth thinks ' that "instead of spending fio much i Money on the system that is in use now i it would be better to run the sewerage r ous to sea as is done in the principal t ' towns in England. Good drainage is the making of » good' town." £■ Several essays dwell too much on pre- £ sent defects without offering any asi i M suggestions for their improvement, ,' and in giving historical details especially relating to the trials of the early Tara- ; naki settlers. Three of the children t ha\e a fair<eye to the sublime in _ • nature, though they may' express it i, curiously. "Gazing' in a westerly direci tion from llarsland Hill," writes one. _ "one sees the Sugar Loaves standing * out clearly against the sky. Surely £ with such a beautiful panorama of £, scenery laid out before him the travcl- | lcr would. naturally expect to find a ? well laid out town." A second refers *, to the ■'cone-shaped snow-capped lit •- t Egiuont stanumg like a sentinel in tli centTc of Taranaki;" while a third eonp, v aiders it "very pleasant to watch the r- steamer going out on a moonlight night y from the top of Paritutu." Electric { ' lights are recommended to be put on ' these cones "to improve them.'' i To improve Xew Plymouth the "in- }- stallation of electric cars" to run from litzroy to the Breakwater "would :t make it more attractive than it is J. now." Another thinks that "the cars •t luuning would make Xew Plymouth j, very busy." A third "believes there is no,_need for cars." "When a traveller I an-hes at the Tailway station the first thing he sees is not a fine public building but a bare paudock." The young i ' vi nter suggests that "a good and 'beau- ;■ ( tiful opera house could be put on this ; t property opposite the station." Pour , , more of the young essayists express 1 tllemsehcs likewise as being "sorely U needed/ and owing to the cracks in the wallß of the present theatre it is i, - Unhealthy to go there for a night's en*f tertaimnent." Refe,,,ng again briefly , to municipal matters we desire to add £ i thatf several of the children commented C on 'the many heaps of dirtv rubbish {* lying about the town." "Old tins and j* - pots should not be allowed to be thrown Is into the pretty Huatoki River." Ant - other suggests that "a. destructor should >, De_ erected to dispose of rubbish." Two \ children commeiit severely on the "verv 4 bad channels and gutters'in some of tli» J* back streets." V' " i.M Ve on 'y 110W a<ld tl,ilt t,lc £' children have recommenced . -ny % . places in addition to those mentioned 8s for beautification. Amongst th( ire jj' Wooleombe Terrace, Bayne's Terrace. St. Michael's Square, Fort Xiger Marsland Hill, the Esplanade, the' Su-iir j Wves, Paritutu, Western Park, the r Technical Gardens, the Racecourse, and » the banks of the Henui River or Lover:.' g Walk. Six of the essayists recommend S> that drinking fountains should l, ( . crcets\ ed in some of the places. Some of the t , suggestions,, we think, arc excellent, and r could hardly be improved on bv older heads. Some of the essays are mi turally '. a-little J'childlike and bland," but ail i. are creditably written and, we think. 5 very satisfactory.