AUCKLAND'S STREETS AND SEWERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 46, 23 February 1909, Page 2

AUCKLAND'S STREETS AND SEWERS.

PAST POLICY OF CONSTKUCTKXST. INTEK.IEW WITH THE MAYOR. The state of the streets in all cities comes in for a good deal of criticism, | and in that respect Auckland is no exception. As this" matter is of "such general interest, a-"Star" reporter waited this ! morning on the Mayor (Mr. Arthur M. Myers), and asked for a statement as to the position in regard to the streets of jj the city. "Well," said Mr. Myers, "I have just received a report on the subject from the City Engineer, from which it appears that Mr. Bush has found himself confronted with difficulties in dealing with the streets which may not always occur to the average observer; for instance, the steep grades; the excessive width of some streets and narrowness of others; the bad defects of the old policy of fixing permanent levels in the seventies and eighties, but doing little or notning to form the streets to such levels till practically the present time, which is resultIng now., and will result in the future, in the expenditure of tens of thousands of pounds on the part of the Council and j private individuals above what would ( have been necessary if the streets had been formed to their permanent level at the time it was fixed. Another trouble is the .absence of foundations to the majority of such streets, resulting in heavy maintenance charges, and costly work to install now.; the excessive camber of many streets, particularly where tramlines are laid, making it necessary either to raise the channels, kerbs, and paths, or else to lower the tram-lines; and the general policy of expedients which has been pursued in the past, just doing something here aiui there, so that when now a street requires to be put in proper order no part of it fits the permanent york, resu It-ing in the work being longer in execution and heavier in cost." '"And as to sewers?" "In many eases these have been badly designed, or, if well designed, most poorly ..constructed, so that they are costing a large amount of money to renew on proper lines. Further, the absence, till the present time, of any definite , scheme of sewerage, has resulted in the adoption; 'of many temporary expedients, which • sooner or later have to be aliandoned, with unsatisfactory results both to the Council and the twners of premises- which have bee ,, drained by such means."" "Then it would s«em that the present Council are suffering , xor the errors and omissions of tneir predecessors?" ■'-I am afraid that is the case to some extent. Past Councils, whether through lack of funds or want of expert guidance, do not appear to have been prepared to undertake- -the necessary works, or, _ if. undertaken, to ensure their bexng carried out in an efficient manner; and the wori: of bringing our streets into really satis- . factory condition is consequently much Blower, costlier, and more difficult than it would otherwise have been."