AWAKE, NEW PLYMOUTH!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 172, 19 January 1912, Page 4

AWAKE, NEW PLYMOUTH!

VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENTS.

"Civis" writes:—"l am vary pleased to see you endeavoring to galvanise some interest and life into the affairs of the town. But you have set yourself a big contract, as the place is shrouded in indifferenco and apathy. Those who would benefit most by the moving of the town are the ones who are most indifferent to its welfare. Now and again some ono arises and creates a stir, but nothing is done, and the town falls back into the same old rut and the people ditto. For example, a short time ago,. I believe, a "Progressive Association" was formed and it promised to do big things in the way of lifting the town out of its slough of apathy and carelessness. But its promises have not materialised. It ran a few candidates at a municipal contest and no has heard of it since. The Council is almost moribund; it wants stimulating into life. There is that Marsland Hill approach that properly called attention to. A few days' work and a few loads of metal would put it right and in a condition for the use of the people. Why is not the work done immediately? There is that Powderham street bridge abortion; its sides are bulging and wil! soon break away if something is no t done to it quickly. Then there-is that footpath opposite that pretty building erected by the Good Templars. It is in an absolutely unsafe condition. It is full of holes—a trap seemingly set to catch the unwary pedestrians. Perhaps when someone meets with an accidest there and comes on the Council for heavy damages something will be done to put it in a decen,t and safe order. But what has become of the scheme to reduce that hill? Was not an arrangement made to use a portion of the bend in exchange for the right to divert the riverbed? The diversion has been made and what was a charming little river bend scene has been turned into a hideous swamp -- v and rubbish depot. Is the Council not going to proceed with this work? Evidently the Council is too busy worrying itself about the forming of a Greater New Plymouth and the establishing of trams here to spare time to nerform its routine, its small, but, all the same, very necessary work." OUR LOVELY PARK.

"Frequenter 1 ' writes:-—'"Nothing has pleased me more in readiijg your articles about local matters than your references to our beautiful Park and the indifference displayed by local people in regard to it. It is a crying shame that there should be so much apathy shown towards what is undoubtedly the richest (using the word in its full meaning) inheritance Providence has endowed New Plymouth with. Were it in any other centre but this it would be appraised at its true value and done justice to accordingly. What is the position? At present the Council gives it a paltry subsidy of £l5O a year. A few pounds more are subscribed by the public, and on the revenue the grounds, extensive and beautiful as they are, have to be maintained!' The custodian does wonderfully well with the means at his disposal, but w it fair to expect him to do justice to his work when he haa but half a lad to help? - Why, it takes a man and a half to keep the miles pf paths clean. Mr. Smith; the custodian, is a highly qualified, I might add, gifted man. As a botanist and horticulturist he lias, I do believe, no superior throughout the Dominion. He knows e.very plant, every tree, every fern, every flower, every bird, in the Park. To get into conversation with him ou these matters is of itself a rare treat. His heart is in his work. -And yet he is expected to look after the Park and keep it in first-class order on a salary that many laborers would scorn to accept! Why, in Palmerston North four men are kept busy attending to the gardens in the square, a circumscribed area indeed eompared with our extensive grounds. I must say that the Board as a whole iire somewhat to blame for the present position. They are quite out of touch with the people, who have little or no confidence in them, and as a consequence the people do not support the Park as they might otherwise do. But I think the upkeep of this valuable asset of the town should not be left to private generosity. It is a fair and proper charge on the funds of the borough, and to a lesser extent, on the county, and I desire to suggest here that a determined effort be made before the next borough estimates are framed to get an amount placed thereon that will enable the grounds to be looked after as they should be. At least another two laborers are required, and their wages should be found by the town as a whole and not in part. At the same time I would suggest that an effort be made to alter the constitution of the Board jand, brinjg, it into line with the spirit of -the ; times. Some members of the Board have done and are doing ,go<jd.. workj tjiere aje others (and they are iti a majority) whose early-Tetirement would be in the best interests-" of the grounds and the town."