A War Memorial for Belfast. 9 



(c) "Amenities." It is an ugly word, but it stands for the 

 preservation of all beautiful places remaining in, or close to, 

 the city : for example, the banks of the Lagan (Fig. 6) from 

 Ormeau out to Drumljeg. We should have absolute control of all 

 this beautiful Avaterway, and should open a drive along it which 

 would remain for ever a credit to those who had saved it from 

 the steady destruction which it is rapidly undergoing at present. 

 Again, our parks and public gardens are all too few and too 

 small. Let us not starve our future city of these lungs. Such 

 places as Orangefield, Belvoir or Stranmillis, and the pretty 

 country around the Forth River, by Glencairn and Ballygomartin, 

 still remain for us to utilise in the public interest. It is 

 unnecessary to erect mediaeval fortifications upon a hill-slope in 

 order to make it beautiful : — heather and gorse and daffodils will 

 do this for us at a tithe of the expense. May we not have a 

 great wild garden of such simple things on the slopes of the 

 Cave Hill or the Black Mountain 1 May we not have, both as 

 a lung and as an attraction in itself, a good botanical and 

 agricultural garden and college out Strandtown way 1 Why 

 should we not possess a small Zoo 1 It need not be larger than 

 the one in Dublin, and there is plenty of room up the Lagan. 



(d) Churches. We need to make further provision for the 

 religious requirements of the city. The central premises of my 

 own Church are but dingy and inadequate : the Methodist Church 

 has none at all : and there is no Roman Catholic Cathedral. The 

 historic Church of Presbyterianism in May Street is surrounded 

 by buildings hardly less sordid than those around the Cathedral. 

 Possibly, some part of these needs would be supplied were the 

 War Office to decide on abandoning Victoria Barracks in favour 

 of another suburban site like Holywood, and so release a great 

 area for schools and playgrounds and the like. The old Lower 

 Barrack Yard facing Great George's Street would make a fine 

 location for a Roman Catholic Cathedral. 



(e) Traffic — (l) Roads. — We have done much to improve 

 our roads and streets for convenience of traffic, — much remains to 



