ADVANCE AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 307, 24 December 1912, Page 5

ADVANCE AUCKLAND.

CITY'S WONDERFUL PROGRESS FINE RECORD OF AOBLIEV KMENT. T3ie progress of the City of Auckland •since it* foundation on September 19, IS4O, has been steady and consistent. The city has had its periods of slow and of rapid advance, but it may be doubted whether in any single year a record of achievement, cither municipal or the result of private enterprise, ihas ever been chronicled co calculated to make Auckland citizens proud of their city as the record for the year winch is just closing. The Town Cerk, Mr. H. W. Wilson, discussed the progress of the city for the current year with a "Star"' pressman to-day, at tie same time foreshadowing many enterprises in the coming year. GREATER AUCKLAND. "The prime feature of the year," said Mr. Wilson, "has been the draiwing together of the various units comprising the Greater Auckland district, and amalgamation, as a consequence, has not only become a burning question, but a practical one, agitating Parnell, which has already carried a proposal for union with the fcity, Remuera, which bide fair to follow in Pamell's footsteps, Grey Lyrro, which is carefully examining the question in detail, and Arch Hill, which has, without any show of opposition, cordially accepted the position. In other districts the subject » receiving more or lees consideration, and the consummation of the Greater Auckland scheme is only what might have been expected by the increase of facilities common to all—water supply, tramway extension, and the drainage scheme fast approaching completion. AH these tilings have tended to break down the. artificial barriers standing in the way of making a desirable consummation a practical is6ue." IN THE CITY. "Actuated by the progressive policy set forth by" the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Parr)," proceeded Mr. Wilson, "there has been a decided increase in municipal facilities and improvements. The addition of Point Erin Park, just before the commencement of the ye&r, as a new 'lung' for the city, has been more than justified, this popular pleasaunce having become a favourite resort of thousands of persons in need of rest and recreation. BATHS. The construction of the Shelly Beach baths on the foreshore of the park has, to a femall extent, supplied a crying need of the water-loving public. Other schemeß in the same direction have been moved forward a step or two, and will ,be carried into being in the coming year, e-g., a tepid bath in Bcibson Street, to be followed by bathing facilities for the people of the eastern portion of the city, on the Parnell foreshore." LIBRARIES. The Public Library has not only been overhauled and improved by the removal of the municipal offices, bat has also had its advantages extended by the erection of a branch library on Mount Eden Road. This latter will be opened early in the New Year, and as it is proposed to conduct the library on the lines of the Leys Institute in Ponsonby, it should supply a.need for the southern portion of the city. STREETS. It has been laid down as an axiom "by road engineers, that so soon as the increase in traffic reaches a certain point, macadam roads -must be abandoned, and paving take their place. This has been recognised in the planning of city improvements. The citizens having authorised the raising of the necessary funds by loan, a commencement has been made. In Fort Street the paving adopted has been that of wooden blocks, and an experiment is being made in "powellißed r ' red birch. In Commerce, Gore, and Customs Street east, the Neuchatoj ashphalte, which has .proved so successful in Queen Street, is being laid down. Unfortunately, the Tramway Company could not see its way to adopt Neueha-tel nspbalte for the portion of the streets occupied by the tram lines, but they have decided to fall into line with the City Council as far as possible, and to lay down tarred macadam in the tram lines, so that the whole street will be paved, though with two materials. But for the stringency of the money market preventing the loan moneys coming to hand aa quickly as deßired, much further progress would have been made in the paving of the streets. But notwithstanding this difficulty, all necessary preparations are being made for the paving of other main thoroughfares, eg., Karangahape Road, Ponsonby Road, as well as some of the side streets in the warehouse localities. The streets upon which the traffic is less heavy, are being dealt with (by being laid do>wii in tar macadam, -with proper foundations, as evidenced in Stanley Street, while streets in the resideirtia'l area which have long called for attention, iwill be properly formed, graded and metalled. These works are being only temporarily held over. a WATER SUPPLY. On question of water supply Mr Wilson —"The rapid increase of population has resulted in a snDstaotiat provision being made to ensure adequate distribution of the water supply, which is abundantly provided in the Waitakere and Nihotupu watersheds. To achieve this new service, reservoirs have been constructed in ferrd-concrete at Khyber Pass, and on Mount Eden. An expenditure of £7,000 has been incurred for larger water mains, not only for the trunk line from Nihotupu, but for replacing much of the city reticulation, which has become inadequate, especially for fire-prevention purposes. Preparation work has been steadily gone on with in the Nihotupu watershed, with the main view of constructing a large storage reservoir, which will ensure to the city an adequate supply for aU neede for many years to come." iELECTKICITY. "The city's advancement as regards electrical services are very interesting," said Mr. Wilson. "The eleeirieal business of the city commenced some three or four years ago, in a email way, and has developed more than was anticipated, causing increased activity in the department. A new site has been obtained on the waterfront adjacent to the railway, and tbe erection of a new power-house, coupled with the installation of higher power-generating machinery, has proceeded apace—and none too soon. The tax upon the old plant was .a source of anxiety to those immediately concerned. The Tramway Company, having decided to take a portion of the current they require for the tramway system, has brought the day for further increasing the plant appreciably nearer. This is a department of municipal activity which has been fully justified, and the increase in business lias been such as to give supreme {-ratification to the citizens."

FINANCES, v "While all these municipal improvements have been necessitated by ■ the natural progre.» of the city, they had themselves resetted and caused private enterprise to take heart, and in consequence values have advanced in real estate to the immense benefit of the city finances. The price of land has steadily gone up, while the increase of new- and larger buildings has resulted in the annual increase of the city valuation becoming higher and higher. . Here are some telling figures:

REVENUES OP THE CITT. 1891 -£58,902 189G _. 81,458 1901 , 82,657 1900 „ 114,925 1911 182,533 181_2 214,963 ANNUAL EATABLE VALUE. 1881 £294.611 1896 282,000 1901 349,765 1906 444,865 1911 (J23.313 191Z 679,369 " These figures need no elucidation, but they mean increased revenue and a more elastic power in incurring liabilities for new works." BUILDING. Mr. Bush, the City Engineer, has supplied the following particulars relative to building operations in the city during the year: — BUILDING PERMITS, i Value. No. £ Dwellings 118 67.665 Business premises 109 -_.34.797 Additions and alterations value £50 and oyer 149 70,129 Total expenditure £322,581 Commenting upon these figures, Mr. Wilson said: —"Queen Street, which has long remained a wonder to visitors- and others, owing to the number of one and two-storey buildings in the principal street of the city, is fast being metamorphosed. The building contracts completed, entered into, and projected arc bringing about a complete change in the appearance of the street, and causing it to be worthy of the city of which, it is the main artery. The same activity is spreading to other portions of the city, and the enlargement of the business area ia causing the residential areas to be pushed further out, while, in the meantime there is actually a ecarcity of dweHing3. Owing, probably, to the incidence of the Exhibition nest pear great activity has in the last few months been shown in enlarging the boarding house accommodation of the city. __s_largianente to boarding bouses have become a notable feature in recent applications for budding permits." Mr. WHson concluded by expressing himself optimistically with regard to the future, and expressed the opinion that in the near future Queen Street would become one of the finest, if not the finest | street in the Dominion.