LONG-AWAITED TUNNEL

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 179, 17 April 1923, Page 8

LONG-AWAITED TUNNEL

DISCUSSED AT HATAITAI. The proposed Hataitai tunnel won discussed at a _ meeting addressed bv municipal candidates at Waitoa Road, Hataitai, last nipjht. Mr. H. D. Bennett first mentioned the subject. He said that he was strongly in favour of the work, which was recommended by the Tramways Committee as most urgent. When the matter had come up in the council, the Mayor, strange to say, had nominated a committee, Which was not taken from the Tramways Committee, to deal with it. The speaker liad been “pushed off” that committee. He had been glad since, on account of the delays that had taken dace, that he had not been a member of the committee. But Mr. J. Burns, who was to speak later, and who had been a member, might be able to explain to the meeting why the work lhad not been begun.

Air. Burns, when his turn came to address the meeting, said that the committee had been appointed to confer with the representatives of the people of the district, and learn their views. There had been various delays in arranging a meeting, but eventually a meeting had been held. Tho engineer had been instructed to prenare plans. So far, nothing further had been heard of the matter. The engineer’s denartment was excaedinglv busy and under-staffed, but the work would be nushed on. He was convinced that the tunnel must be put through. He would not say that the work had been delayed unnecessarily, but that perhaps it had been delayed rather too long. In the near future, he believed, it would be taken in Hand. He was of opinion that before any final report was made to the council about tho matter, there would be another conference with people from the district. He was prepared to do his best to hasten the commencement of tho work.

Air. C. C. Crump said that he could say much the same; he thought the tunnel was needed. The chairman of the meeting, Mr. A. E. Batt, said that what occasioned him concern was “the vagueness of the whole thing.” Three years after the monev had been raised the residents of Hataitai were told that a member of the council did not know what had h'-pn cterie by the engineer’s staff. ‘"’’Tien the council had decided to pierce the liills at Orongorongo there lad been no such delay.