PERENNIAL SIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 19

PERENNIAL SIGHT.

STREET EXCAVATIONS

SYDNEY COUNCIL'S ACTION

CO-ORDINATION OF WORK

(Prom Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, July 10

At the present moment people who want to walk along the east side of Castlereagh Street between Martin Place and King Street have to take their choice between tumbling into a deep ditch or wandering out 011 to the roadway, to risk contact with a ceaseless succession of ta-xis and motor cars. lor the pavement is "up" here, as it was "up" last week in Hunter Street—also at the corners of Pitt Street and Market Place—and as it has been "up" at some point or other within the city limits on almost any given day within the past 12 months. It is a literal fact that 110 fewer than 110 separate sections of city footpaths were opened during the six months ended on June 30 for the sole purpose of laying new electric cables. But in addition to the electricity department the authorities that preside over gas and water and tlier city railway have the right to tear the city up by the roots when it suits their purpose, and they do not liestitate to exercise their power at frequent intervals. The effect upon the appearance of the city is simply deplorable. But this is not its worst effect. The danger to foot passengers and to passing traffic is serious, and quite as serious in another way is the loss to the shops and restaurants which have to close their doors to shut out constant showers of grit and dirt, and to the business men who cannot use their telephones because of the ceaseless rattle of pneumatic drills along the firing line.

Some Restraint Needed. Of course in theory it ought to be possible to mitigate these atrocities. For the past 25 years representatives of the Water Board, the City Council, the Australian Gas Light Co., the Postal Department and the Railway and Tramway Departments have conferred regularly on all public work involving the excavation of streets and footways. Bub these opportunities have apparently not been utilised to ensure close co-operation between the authorities concerned in regard to the times and places at .which these fearsome subterranean experiments «hall be conducted. Last week our City Council, which has. often discussed the question before, evidently felt that something practical should be done to restrain these destructive activities, and the works committee recommended that in future the electricity department should pay for the complete restoration of any footpath or kerbing disturbed by its operations. Twenty-six Miles More. Apparently the present condition of Castlereagh "Street lias roused the aldermen, and when they were informed by the town clerk that there are still 2fr miles of pavement to be opened up in Sydney, they were driven almost to desperation. They decided to secure legislation enabling them to charge the cost of excavation and restoration to any body responsible for opening up or footpaths within two yeais after their construction. About this time, however, Mr. Spooner, as Minister of Local Government, announced that he means to introduce a bill enforcing the co-ordination of the many branches

of "our gre-at national industry"—the opening up and relaying of the city's roads and footpaths. There is to be a board representing all the authorities concerned, and it will have the sole power of authorising and dictating their action. This sounds encouraging, but it is quite likely that in the long run Sydney would save a great deal of trouble and money by following New York's example and constructing subterranean tunnels for all its pipes and cablee and lines —even at the estimated cost of £10,000,000.