KILBIRNIE TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 914, 6 September 1910, Page 7

KILBIRNIE TUNNEL.

CANDIDATES' VIEWS. MEETING OP RATEPAYERS. About forty gentlemen attended a meeting held at the.' Kilbirne School last night, under tho auspices of the- Hataitai Ratepayers' Association. Tho object of tho meeting was ! to discuss tho tunnel and tramway questions, with a view towards tha municipality by-election. Ratepayers of Kilbirnie,-. Hataitai, and Roseneath had ■ been invited. Mr. A. Leigh Hunt; who presided, said that, owing to the growth of tho suburbs on that sido of Mount Victoria, a. second tunnel would soon be needed for tramway communication, if for no other purpose. A tramway route up "Waipawa Road to Grafton''Road had been surveyed, and the Roseneath people were strongly advocating a tramway to tho higher levels of Roseneath. A line from Hataitai to Roseneath would, in a few years, pass through paying country all the way. He had been iut'ormed that every, house erected in Hataitai was subjected to an extra ■cost of £W to .£ls-for cartage above what would be required if. there was a tunnel for vehicular traffic. The secretary, having written to all. the candidates for tho by-election to ask if they would support a'\ proposal to construct a second tunnel between Kilbirnie and the city, it was announced that most of them had replied, and that Mr. S. J. Moran was present, and was prepared to express his views. Mr.: Moran, being invited to speak, expressed himself strongly in favour 'of tho construction of a. second tunnel. He would support whole-heartedly any feasible scheme having that object. Tho roplies/of other candidates wore then read. . They were to the following effect:— Mr. W. H. P. Barber "would support any feasible proposal that would give improved communication" to , Hataitai and North Kilbirnie. Mr. E. '.IV. J. Coleridge'.. thought' a second tunnel was very desirable, and if sound financial investigations showed that increased, tramway receipts would justify it, he would be in favour of such a. scheme. He could not, however, pledge himself: to any. proposal for its immediate construction, as he was strongly, of opinion that no further burden : should, be placed'on-the rateriayers at present... . Mr. A; H: Fullford'promised to do his utmost'to have'the tunnel-enlarged; *Mr. J. Godber said ho would do anything ho could to remedy,'at the earliest .possiblo time, the blunder that had been made in constructing the tunnel without provision 'for traffic other than the tramways. . ■ . ' ■• Mr. A. E. Hornblow would do his best to provide a second tunnel, if the expenditure was not too great, and ,'if. , tho. scheme was a Wise one'. Mr. V. Jensen could not pledge himself to advocate such an expensive \undertaking during ;'the'present period- of : general 'depression./■.■ Mr. S. G. Nathan, was. strongly, in .favour of the proposal. to .construct' a second tunnel. The work should be .carried out without delay. He pledged himself to support a proposal for tho'immediate construction of s\|ch a tunnel. Mr. H. H. Raywnrd, if elected; would support a reasonable .proposal for the construction of a' second tunnel.: J. 13. Speed favoured'.tho' proposal, but:would no t support a..second tunnel schenio unless provision was. made for pedestrian, vohicnlar, and tramway, traffic. Mr. ,W. ,T. Thompson considered a duplicate'- tunnel a uccussary and proper work, but it could not be done without, a loan, and the council was pledged not to ask the ratepayers to sanction another loan during the. present term.. Considerable discussion took place on a series of proposals and counter-proposals in .;- regard . to; selecting candidates ■ for united support at the by-election; v It, was finally resolved to.raako it a'recommendation to . electors to ..vote only, for candidates' who! would support the tunnel proposal. ' ' • ,'.-•.: '' >' ' :