[unclear: Viewioints]

An enlightening sideline to [unclear: thv] actual socio-economic and [unclear: tech] logical aspects of the draft [unclear: to] plan is the steady stream [unclear: h] "sniping" by interested [unclear: individua] The editors and columnists of [unclear: th] Press were reasonably [unclear: compl] mentary in their remarks. [unclear: Howev] the more informed sources [unclear: ha] been much more derogatory [unclear: with] out providing only purely [unclear: negati] criticism. Representatives of [unclear: th] various local factions have [unclear: varie] in their opinions according to [unclear: ho] the plan has affected them.

". . . It does contain, [unclear: however] some very sensible and [unclear: eve] imaginative proposals for [unclear: th] shaping of development in a [unclear: wa] that might make the city less [unclear: co] gested, more capable of order expansion and thus a better [unclear: pla] to live in . . ."—Editorial [unclear: Even] Post. 27.4.65.

"The Wellington City [unclear: Council] has produced a town plan [unclear: which] impressed even the sceptics [unclear: wh] attended the public unveiling [unclear: of] Tuesday night . . . Shows [unclear: muc] thought and imagination."—N. Herald. 29.4.65.

"While the draft [unclear: incorporated] a lot of 'good ideas' from the [unclear: text] books of the town planner [unclear: an] traffic engineer, there are [unclear: obviou] dangers because full [unclear: consideratio] for so many areas and problem have not been possible in [unclear: th] short time . . . The town [unclear: planning] staff are to be commended [unclear: for] the amount of work they [unclear: have] done within the last few [unclear: month] but it appears even from the [unclear: first] impression that the rushed [unclear: pa] forced by earlier [unclear: vacillations] the council over long years [unclear: ha] made inevitable the [unclear: acceptanc] . . . of a great number of [unclear: appar] ently conflicting concepts, [unclear: s] of unresolved and deferred [unclear: decision] and of incomplete background information . . ."—Architecture Centre. 20.4.65.

"One-way streets would [unclear: increas] traffic capacity, but in [unclear: Welling] ton's case, it would be at [unclear: th] page 9expense of other city functions, particularly retailing."—J. A New[unclear: old] president Wellington and [unclear: Hutt] Valley Retailers' Association [unclear: .5.64.]

"Shop rents are high enough, [unclear: nd] if city shopowners have to [unclear: ear] the cost of this project it [unclear: ill] drive shopkeepers out to the [unclear: suburbs] . . ."— Saul Goldsmith, [unclear: resident] United Action Group [unclear: 8.4.65.]

Comments by various City Councillors, who were only too [unclear: ager] to use the plan as a weapon to five vent to personal bickerings within the Council, make entertaining reading:

"It (the Town Plan) seems to [unclear: ne], and to tens of thousands of Wellingtonians, a Utopian flight of fantasy . . ."—Cr. J. M. Turk.

"... A pie in the sky . . ."— Cr. J. F. Jeffries.

". . . Too dreary . . "'—Cr. C. H. Benney.