BEAUTIFYING STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1920, Page 5

BEAUTIFYING STRATFORD.

SUGG ESTED PUBLIC RESERVE. • f ;. VARIOUS OPINIONS. \ 1 (From Our Own Correspondent.) ' Stratford, .May 11. •» Now that the Royal visit and the bW elections arc ovei, Stratford residents are turning their minds in the direction of improving the borough, and, it iai likely that before long a move will be] made in beautifying the town. i Stratford is fortunately endowed witM two splendid parks, but unfortunately. these have too long been under the et>e* of a Domains Board, which lacked both ' funds and initiative for making than '■ really attractive to the townspeople and visitors. Now, however, the Borough, Council has been given control of the domains, and the Council is determine* to do something in the direction oB beautifying them.

At a recent meeting of the Conneili the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan)} brought the matter up, and on hit sug* gestion it was agreed to write to til* Uovemment asking if an expert couttfc be sent to Stratford to prepare pltn» of improvements to both Victoria Parte and lving Edward Park, and to generally) advise the Council as to the best meant) ' of laying them out.' A reply was received stating that the Government had no expert available, but suggesting thafc. application be made to the Palmerstom North Borough Council for the loan ott their gardener. Accordingly that body; , s has been communicated with, and W ' . reply is expected shortly. The Council has not, so far, gone into the coat of the! improvements it proposes to make, but; • when the plans and suggestions are re* * reived, the matter will lie given careful ,i consideration and schemes for raising! ■ the necessary money will doubtless W proposed. . THE NEW STREET f ' The new street which it is propo4es|.'.' r.hall be made from Broadway Central .j through to Juliet Street, haR not 'yet been sanctioned by the Railway Depart.* ['! ment, but the public men of the borough ■ nrc alive to the need of such an outlet' f from Broadway, and a determined effort will lie marie to get the Government to grant the land. At present it looks as ■. though the shifting of the railway sta- . tion may not take place for some years yet. end the new street cannot be made \ unt'l then But though the realisation may be deferred, every effort i* to he ma.le to have the roadway authorised as scon a? possible. When the the railway station its »t* moved to tie south end of tho town« the line will be sunk below the level at the street in the centre of the boroug'i,, and all crossings will have overhead! v bridges Therefore the constru'iion or ths new street does not mean another 1 level crossing, because it will pan* over! the railway line. A suggestion has been made that',; ,> w'th the object of improving tho Hppfarnnee of the town and providing some central space, the new street instead at running sharply into Broadway or Juliets Street, should have an oval appearance, " with about three chain* width'**. , cither end, narrowing to about a chain where it crosses the railway line. Thto _, would give it an artistic appearance, allow plenty of room, and provide, if necessary, for,the erection of a fountain or memorial in years to come in the ~ centre portion of the oval at either eni of the street. Then on the Juliet aide of the railway cutting, it is suggested that the Railway Department vert iir the borough, the land between the edge) of the cutting and the present boundary; of the railway yard for use as a publici reserve, where trees and •shrubs could be" .- absorbed into the reserve and a beattti*, ful resting place made. THE MAYOR'S OPINION. .j When the scheme as outlined wtftf placed before the Mayor, he said that] he was not in favor of asking the salH way Department to give up so mtfehr land, but he cordially approved of the, suggestion that some suitable resting l place should be provided.in the centra, of the town for country visitors. "Until the new street is authorised pf . the Department," added the Mayor,-"! think we would be foolish to ask thej Department to give up so much valuable) ' land for public reserves, because by ajdw!, ' ing for too much we might not get any«l tiling." . l ■] ' MR. MASTERS' VIEWS. in ")

A different opinion was expressed ,kf Mr. R. Masters, M.P. "Stratford i» too inartistic," he remarked, "and the town badly needs beautifying. The railway reserves belong to the people, and th»W is no reason why the Department should not give up the Juliet Street eide of the railway line for the use of the publia as a resting place.". Mr. Masters heartily supported the scheme suggested for rounding off the new street, and pointed out that the . Department would lose nothing by granting the land for the street, m the frontage right up to the bridge could be leased to shop-keepers at greatly in-, creased rentals. As far aa the Juliet Street side of the railway yards was concerned, the Department was not.how receiving rental for any of this, and it was quite proper to ask that it should be vested in the 'borough for recreation purposes, making Stratford ft beautiful town, and opening up another shopping centre. i

"TOO MUCH TO ASK FOB.' "Tiie authorisation of the new street ia so important that all other considerations fade into insignificance," said Jtr. J. B. Richards, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, when approached conccrning the matter. He added that if - ; the Railway Department fell in with the. suggestion to make the new street through from Broadway to Juliet Street, it would be necessary for it to yiefll up valuable business sites fronting on Broadway, and it is not wise to yield * too much. If the street is put through the loss that the department will suffer by giving up the Broadway frontages will be more than compensated by the increased value of the land between i Brondway and Juliet Street and in Juliet 1 Street. Mr. Richards added that at present he was opposed to asking the department to give the land in Juliet Street as a public reserve.