“AN ILL WIND”

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 83, 6 January 1928, Page 10

“AN ILL WIND”

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF WORK BENEFITS CITY LAST YEAR’S IMPORTANT UNDERTAKINGS A VISIT OF INSPECTION i There is probably no city in [ New Zealand that has benefited ■ so materially from those periods when unemployment has been acute as has Wellington. Such benefits have not been restricted to the present year, which has been one of considerable hardship to many, but spread over a period of 30 years, this trouble has always meant the carrying out of works in various parts of the city which have been of incalculable value to the community. One has only to point to Rintoul Street, Kelbourn Park, Anderson Park, the new road to Khandallah, Alexandra Road (along the Mt. Victoria ridge) and the Lyall Bay Reserve to realise what splendid works have been hurried into being by the urgency of finding work for the workless. Noteworthy has been the past year for a regular multiplicity of works which have been carried out as the result of the winter crisis. There arose, early in the winter, the necessity of providing some kind of work for some hundreds of men who, through no fault of their own, found themselves without the wherewithal to keep the wolf from the door. The Government, the municipal--1 ity, and the people rose gamely to the ’ call, with the result that, a sum of over £60,000 was made available for works of practical value in and around the city. Works Inspected. With the Jlayor.(Mr. G. A. Troup), a representative of The Dominion inspected several of these works recently, most of which are either completed or nearing completion. Commencing from the city the, party proceeded to Palliser Road (upper Roseiiea tit’s short cut to the city), where a narrow, dangerous, and tortuous track has been converted into a safe and easy road of good width at the corners, and an excellent line of vision—a road that is bound to be greatly used both by motorists wishing to scale the heights or by “hikers.” Slipping round the Crescent (where at one time was to be built the up-station of an inclined tramway), the reconstructed and widened Grafton Road (Roseneath), with its long bold wall of concrete topped with a neat rail, was inspected. The upper part of the widened road is being protected by a strong wall of stout totara timber, which is being anchored into the solid. The improvement effected By this work as a whole is amazing, and must mean a substantial increase in values to resident-owners, as it certainly means a vast improvement in access not only to Roseneath residents, but to the motoring population of Hataitai, which uses this road consistently. This work has been in contemplation for the last five years, but was only made possible by the untoward state of the labour market in the winter. Point Halswell Road. In passing down through Hataitai it was noticed that the surface-sealing of Hataitai ..Road was standing well up to its /work. . It has developed a hard black . surface' similar to the hot-mix pavement, and seems to be effective, for the time being at all events. It is this class of road-sealing which is to be used extensively this year in sealing down the streets scheduled under the loan proposals. The inspection extended to the Point Halswell Road. ’ For some years this work hung fire, as the council found it had no power to do anything in the Way of road construction in a territory that did not belong to the city. The whole of the northern end of Watts Peninsula (commonly known as Miramar) is a Government reserve, and, as the Government owned , the road as well, it was not the business of the municipality to attend to it. After years of negotiation a road strip a chain wide was ceded to the Wellington City Council by the Government, but even then the way was not clear for any great improvement as the lands abutting d ; id not produce anything in the way of rates, and, much as the city would have liked to put this picturesque marine parade in good order, the cost was something not easily got over. Here again unemployment conferred a benefit. The Government wished the road put in order, so did the city, so a combination of interests brought about the subsidising of the work. This road has been widened out to 24ft., its body has been built up, given the proper camber, and now has a surface of small metal, which is being worked into the fabric of the ‘toad. Most of the corners have been rounded off, and the fillings to seaward make some of them nearly double the width of the road, leaving ample room for the swing of the traffic. Two large cars may now pass each other with comparative ease at any part of the road. It must be understood that the road has only been reconstructed as set out between the Miramar Wharf and Point Halswell Further on toward Kau and Mahanga Bays the old road, very narrow and shockingly pot-holed, exists, in the same condition as it was ten years ago, and motorists who think of making the round trip must be prepared to go cannilv for a counle of miles. From Scorching Bay to Seatoun, past pretty little Karaka Bay, the macadam road is in very good order. The paved road is not encountered again until the Seatoun tunnel is reached. An Ocean Drive. At Lyall Bay an inspection was made of the progress of the Lyall Bay Parade, a capita! motor road that now allows motorists to proceed from the beach end of Onepu Road right along to the eastern extremity of the bay (and so round to Seatoun via the Heads), along the sands. This road has been constructed at from six to ten feet above high-water mark, and as it is laid down in rotten rock and metal well consolidated by steam roller, it should make an effective road until such time as the city can afford to seal it. There will be a little

trouble from time to time with sand drift in southerly weather, but when the sand dunes to seaward of the road are well planted with marram grass this nuisance will be negligible. Not only does the new rotts provide the finishing touch to Wellington’s noblest marine drive, but it also provides an entrance from the bench to Lyall Bay Reserve. A special effort is now being made to complete that stretch of road in order that people mav without difficulty pass from the beach to the reserve without having to wade in sand Rongotai Park. Rongotai Park now shows a level area of five or six acres, which ere long will become a very valuable and couvenient sports ground. The park, which extends from a point opposite the southern end of Rougotai Terrace,

to the sea, will in the not far distant future be a football and cricket ground second to none in Wellington. There is still a good deal of levelling to be done, but the experience gained with the use of scoops in the past does not make that a very formidable task. This ground practically adjoins the Miramar golf course, and will serve the people of Miramar admirably. New Children’s Playground. At Island Bay the new children’s playground was inspected. There strong, serviceable apparatus of British manufacture, to the value of nearly £lOOO, has been erected under the supervision of Mr. John Shetland. A bandstand has yet to be erected in a central position, and the Reserves Committee is brightening the grounds with Girder gardens. In order to enlarge this area the council have purchaser a couple of old houses on the northern side of the area. These are to be demolished a little later and the grounds extended over the land they at present occupy. Aerial Bridge to the Island. The Mayor explained that by an Act of Parliament the island at the bay had now been invested in the City Council, and it was intended to segregate the fishermen and their boats at the island, where they should be very comfortable. Communication with the shore at the west end will be by aerial (wire rope) bridge, by which fish could be sent ashore, and by which the fishermen and others could pass from the mainland to the island and vice versa — over a space of about 700 ft. This arrangement should make Islam] Bay n much more desirable place of residence and a more pleasurable seaside resort than it has been in the past. Big Earthworks. On the return to town the party traversed the Happy Valley Road, where a good deal of road widening and filling has been done by unemployed labour, and also saw the big earthworks in progress at the foot of Hutchison Road and the back of Jam Tin Gully, where the road lines were being improved, and some obliterated altogether, to provide sufficient space for the winter show grounds and sports area. The lower end of Hutchison Road is being thrown into this area, and a new road is being formed on a higher level at the back of the gully. This provides a better grade without adding appreciably to the distance to be travelled.