MUD-MISERY IN FREEMAN’S BAY.

Auckland Examiner, Volume IV, Issue 272, 13 June 1860, Page 3

MUD-MISERY IN FREEMAN’S BAY.

(To Editor of Auckland Examiner.) Sir, —It is but a few years ago that Freeman’s Bay was a sort of terra incognita to most of the citizens of Auckland. It was known as a district of saw-pits and soft mud, but no one would have dreamrd of selecting it as a place of residence. It was perhaps excusable in thp government of that day to neglect repairing the roads and other necessary works in so outlandish a district, but at the present time things are different. The population "f the Bay has, for a long time past, been increasing more rapidly than that of any other part of Auckland and the traffic through the district has increased in “Uli greater proportion than the number of residents. Yet, with the exception of building a bridge over the creek at foot of Victoria Street, nothing has been done)to render access to their homes any more easy ” r safe tp the hundreds who now live in that direction than it was to the few who travelled the same road years ago. The first dangers of 'he road befal those of unsteady feet after leaving the metal road behind them at the corner of Nelson Street. These are special dangers. But all are alike obliged to stumble over l,e rough descent towards the new bridge, and to ‘tap or scramble over several deep ruts worn by the rain of—l waB going to say—centuries, before they nd themselves taking two or three steps in comfort u pon the bridge itself. IV hen y ou reach the further 81 , a > if the tide is out, you may choose between two ? ’■ *ffl>e tide is in. you have no choice but that of °bson, for the bridge leads nowhere, and if you any further it must be in peril of water, d peril of mud, and peril of sticking fast. Let n y one who succeeds in scaling the heights by day®l 8° to tile rightabout and try the descending ovement; if not satisfied with the dangers he has ti, let him return to the. spot after dark, and go st' 0 ??' 1 acme evolutions, and then, with a little etch of imagination, he will be able to fancy the conveniences which residents in the Bay are daily Jl C j to at this P art °f their journey. mu , . esce nton the further side of the hill has been , uch ‘reproved oflate, and is not now impassable ; o fT V ] en level ground is reached all the horrors of . « wa^er are around you again. A couple undred yards wading brings you to the bounds

of the city, beyond which I am not at present bent upon travelling, but shall come at once to the point I have in viev , lam not going.to ask whether this is estate of things which ought to continue; because there can be but one answer to that question—No, Neither shall I trouble you to remind me of the “empty chest.’’ in answer to the question—Why does not the government keep the roads in repair? What I wan’ is very easily provided, nothing butt/ieuriZZ to do it being hard to get, —it is to give us some light in the district. “ Gentlemen Volunteers” have for some months past known the relative advantages of the road round the beach and the road over the hill, and we are now in hopes that “ Gentlemen Militiamen,’’ especially those of the Inlying Picket, will be initiated into the same mysteries. All their experiences will have be n picked up by daylight, but they will, nevertheless, be able (if they try) to realize the difficulty of reaching Freeman’s Bay in safety after dark.

The state of the roads is bad enough, Mr. Editor, yet we are not disposed to be too hard upon the government on that account. We respect the poverty of our rulers, and take the bridge they have made as an earnest of what they will do when they can. We can manage to travel without absolute danger so long as daylight "?hows us our path, and while we are in no danger we are content to live in hope; but when daylight is gone and the perils of the way are multiplied by their being unseen, then we do feel uncomfortably disposed towards the men who have not placed a single lamp for our enlightenment. I suppose the expense of erecting a few lamps would not materially add to the embarrassments of the government? If new lamp-posts would cost too much, they might promote a few of the old ones that blush unseen in Queen Street and elsewhere; but certainly we have a right to expect three or four lights to be displayed between Nelson Street and Franklin Road —say one by the Immigration Barracks, one at top of the hill opposite, and one at foot of the descent on the other side.

If this is asking too muclr, in the name of all who love cleanliness rather than dirt, let the government put up one lamp, and choose the spot for its erection themselves. Yours, &c. Bay.