The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1914. AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 43, 11 July 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1914. AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS.

The illustrated lecture given at New Plymouth last evening by Mr. YV. R. Davidge, the eminent London engineer and town-planner, on "Thu Message ol Garden Cities and Town Planning," was a revolution to the very large audience which assembled. It was a real message, one fraught with benefit to everyone who takes any pride in the progress and development of his town on enlightened and co-ordinate lines, be against the planless, aimless, wrong system followed by this and nearly ever) other town in New Zealand in the past It is good for citizens to see and lean what other communities are doing ir this important matter, and few of those who attended last evening will rest sat islied with the antiquated, unenlightened methods that havo done service in tin past. They saw enougli to convinc. them of the utter futility of construct ing. or reconstructing, a town withor.l wor-King on a clearly-defined plan and o permitting individuals in building, or re building, to suit their own ideas am conveniences without regard to appear auce and the interests of the eomnmii't] as a whole. The lecturer showed wit! the aid of photographs and diagrams tin achievements of the garden city move incut in Britain, and the development.' in Ccrnian and other continental eitie: by the provision ot breathing spaces civic centres, children's playgrounds am street gardens. lie showed, too, tin evils of wrong planning, the condition that make for slums—for instances r> which lie did not 'have to go outside v<icity of Auckland—and the economic los that must follow such apathy and mud dli-headedness. No one who attends the lecture will have the impression tlia may have been current previously tha the men at the head of the town-plan ning propaganda are visionaries am cranks. They are <(uite the opposite They are practical, sagacious and pij'j lie-spirited men who are performing ; truly valuable national work, and ,u. deserving of the heartiest sympathy am support of all who possess any civ'c pride and have a desire to improve tin conditions under which they live and ai the tame time do something for tlios< who come after them. New PlymouU lias been kindly treated hy Nature, an: its citizens have as a whole never lov sight of the advantage oE beautifyim the town, but after bearing Mr. Davidgi and seeing what other places much leu favored than New Plymouth are doina it is clear that we have a great deal sti! to learn and do, and that at no grca expense we can add considerably to th. attractiveness of the place by followin; correct and sound principles. YYc ar ; pleased to learn that Mr. Davidge 'la: consented to supply the I'orough Conn til with a plan and other suggestions fni the town's improvement, and we havt no doubt the report w ill receive fa:v ml and favorable consideration. Air Davidge has conferred a great beneh'l upon New Plymouth in coming here am wiving such an illuminating, instructiv. and interesting address, ami a greatei "He by agreeing to put in black and white what he thinks micht lie done to make the best use of our many natural advantages, Mr. Davidgc's visit should have one immediate cil'ect. that of putting a stop to the jerry-building o>i pocket-handkerchief sections that, we are sorry to see, lias been allowed to &> on in New Plymouth for seme time past. Jt is n sin and a disgrace and a reflection on our authorities that such a thing should ever have been permitted, riubi- a proper system of townplanning, as advocated b.v our distinguished visitor, there is no room fur the jerry-builder and speculator inlerit on putting on the minimum area of laud Ihe maximum number of bouses.