BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1922, Page 4

BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY.

IMPROVING PUBLIC PLACES. LAST YEAR’S OPERATIONS. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth Beautifying Society was held last night, the president (Mr. R. C. Hughes) presiding over a fair attendance of members The president's annual report stated: —“lt is a matter for congratulation that the society has been able to continue its operations during the year just ended and useful work has been accomplished. It was noticeable that many of those who worked with us last year have not put in an appearance this year and rome who have come have been unable to appear more than once.. However, Baines Terrace has received much attention, some parts having been cleaned up three or four times. The very vigorous growth of this humid summer will necessitate going over the whole ground again immediately. The Huatoki bend between Vivian and Courtenay streets has been cleaned up and tlie rubbish and cuttings burned, while many more native trees have been planted. The agapanthus planted last year is growing well, numerous blooms having appeared, but some mischievous persons have knocked off many bloom laden stems. Aji. improvement has been effected in the strip of land .between Miss Baker's late nursing home and the Carrington Road lawn. “At the suggestion of the Mayor, I, on behalf of the .committee, made an offer to the Borough Council to take charge of and ■ clean up and improve the grounds lying between the municipal buildings and the Carrington Road. A start has been made and much improvement already effected. An inspection of the grounds, adorned as they are with some fine Native and other trees, shows what a pretty little-park may be the result. I gratefully acknowledge the kind services of four or five willing workers, whose cheerful help nas been a great encouragement. I also thank a few others who assisted once or twice. I desire to thank also the ladies who have supplied afternoon tea. To those who have aided us with donations and subscriptions we are specially indebted. Without the money so supplied we would have been helpless, while we are also indebted to both papers -for the publicity given to our operations and for their support. The balance sheet showed that the year commenced with a credit balance of £1 10s 8d and ended with a credit of £7 14s 3d The main items on the revenue side 'were members' subscriptions £33 18s and gross proceeds or concert £36 6s. On the expenditure side were wages £3l 2s; concert expenses £2l? 17s 4d, and miscellaneous items in the way of stamps, stationery, etc., amounting to £l2 Is Id. ' In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, Mr. Stanley Shaw said that the society deserved eoncrratulations on the fact that it had come out so well financially and on the amount of work it had accomplished. He was disappointed at the small a tendance and wondered why,, J° a few notable exceptions, the society was so poorly supported. In this connection he also referred to the rather men’re support accorded the Horticultura'l Society. The only conclusion he could come to was that New Plymout was 6 o favored by Nature that familiarity had bred contempt, and consequen'tlv the townspeople took less in?"est in imnroving their surroundings than did the people oi less . fa ' o , re j. parts. He concluded by paying a tri Eute to the work of their energetic chairman and the committee. Mr Hughes briefly returned thanks and said that ho would always carry on the work as long as he was able. He eulogised the work of the secretary and the treasurer.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted in Mr. Hughes being re-elected president for the ensuing year. Mr. A. 1 . Diarmid asked to be relieved of the nosition of treasurer, but was pressed t P O continue in office for another yea . The committee elected was: Messrs. 1. Shaw G w. Browne, E. Taylor C. H. Maunder, and Mrs. Br e"’eter, wh’le C. lE. Pepperell was re-elected secre tary ' GENERAL.

Referring to the cleaning up of the ground? af the back of ffiiildings, Mr. Shaw asked if the Bor Council was contributing any-, thine- towards the cost of the work. Jr t it was one of the coolest things he had heard of. The work should have been done long ago by the council and now they were getting the socie y So it or them. He thought the. coune sho°uld s“ppor? The president said that he had under assistance, assistance in society’s work.