THE PEOPLE'S FORUM

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 20

THE PEOPLE'S FORUM

From Our Readers To Our Readers. DEEP-WATER LAKE IN THE UPPER HARBOUR. (To the Editor.)

Some time ago I was much interested to read a suggestion made by a correspondent that the best solution of the harbour bridge problem was to construct a dam or filling across the harbour at some suitable point. Sucli a dam, he claimed, would prevent the tidal rip which now causes inconvenience in the berthing of ships and would improve the upper harbour by converting it into a deep-water lake. To the layman it would appear a simpler matter to construct a tilling across the harbour than to build cither a bridge or a tunnel, and once a filling was completed it could he widened to any desirable width by merely tipping behind it a sufficient quantity of the cheap spoil to be obtained from the hills beyond Birkenhead. Thi«i is the kind of job Mr. Scmple would revel in. The permanent raising of the water level of the upper Waitemata would transform the existing mud flats into beautiful lake and give at least KM) miles of desirable lakeside residential frontage stretching into all the creeks from Avondale to Kiverhead. The lake itself would soon become the playground of Auckland and would be one of the greatest conceivable assets to the city. A waterside drive round the harbour would then be really worth considering. While a bridge or a tunnel would give only a congested access to the northern suburbs, and mifht easily be put out of action, a dam would be indestructible, could carry any amount of traffic, and would directly benefit the whole of Auckland, not merely the north. I am sure many of your readers would be glad to have the pros and eons of the matter discussed. MUD FLAT.

POINT CHEVALIER TRAMS. TTaving been a continuous resident of Point Chevalier for the past 22 years and a ratepayer for the last 10 years, I feel it my duty to draw public attention to the service supplied by thennanagement of the Auckland Transport Board to this highly popular and thickly populated district. Only this evening I had to wait at the corner of Pitt Street from 4.50 p.m. to 5.17 p.m., for a car which had enough space left to enable me to pack myself in, sardine fashion, in order to get to my home at a reasonable hour. In the period mentioned I was able to count eight Ponsonby trams, three of which had not more than 12 passengers, five Richmond Road, one practically empty, two specials for Heme Bay, quite empty, and one Pitt Street, thence to Queen Street, via Town Hall, also quite empty. Squeezed between these 16 cars were two Point Chevalier cars, one of which was an old-timer (open ends), and the other a somewhat later model. However, both were much overloaded, and I remember the days when conductors were being fined in the courts for carrying such overloads. We at Point Chevalier have repeatedly asked for additional cars and occasionally the requests have been acceded to for short periods, but the extras have always been slyly taken off after a short period.

"" is is a speedily growing district, and the occupancy of the many new State rental houses is not lessening the transport difficulties. To my mind a 16minute service to a popular beach such as Point Chevalier, during school holidays, is sublimely ridiculous and shows lack of enterprise on the part of those responsible, whilst a service such as is provided between 7 a.m. and 8.30 a.m., and during the peak period, round about 4.30 to 5.30 p.m., is downright disgraceful. I would suggest that certain trams be allotted to take up their running from Pitt Street using the same methods as are adopted in the morning when we have cars leaving from the Hall corner, Walker Road and the beach terminus at intervals. Could this form be arranged a deal of transport difficulty would be eliminated and those who have had to stand on the platform for their ride home would have an equal opportunity with their fellows who board their cars at the various stops of the first section. One of the most annoying things which happen is to be standing closely packed from Pitt Street and to have to move to allow alighting passengers off at the first, second and third stops thereafter, all of these being between Pitt Street and Ponsonby Road. I hope that the residents of Point Chevalier will get together and

put in a protest. If the present members feel it beyond them to cope with the problem, then for goodness , sake let them be honest and make way for a board who can and will cope with the transport requirements of a growing and rapidly expanding city such as ours. F.W.H.