CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 5, 1 October 1929, Page 13

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

A request was made recently to the City Council that higher-powered lamps should be used at street intersections. This came from the Eastern Suburbs League. The City Council has now replied that its policy is to see that all intersections are well-lighted, and the standard of illumination is governed by the amount of traffic passing over each intersection.

Two police constables in rough mufti were engaged in fatigue work outside the Taranaki Street police station in the early hours of yesterday morning, when one of two charwomen who were passing remarked to the other. . I think the police are taking a great risk in allowing the prisoners to work outside like that.” The two constables are now wondering whether, after all, there is any truth in the old saw, “Clothes make the man.”

“Lowe’s Corner—we have been asking about the corner for a matter of three years now, and nothing is ever done,” said a Roseneath deputationist to the Works Committee of the City Council yesterday. This is a corner on Carlton Gore Road, which was to have been splayed back a little further to make an easier sweep for motor traffic. The city engineer gave the assurance that it was not an engineering difficulty.

Considerable improvements have been made at Hataitai bowling green during the close season, and the finishing touches will be put to the work before the opening of the season on Saturday week. The old honeysuckle and picket fence, with the two arbors and seats on the eastern side, have disappeared, and a brick wall surmounted by trellis has taken its place. On the western side a substantial trellis 90ft. long and 9ft. high has been constructed, and will do a great deal to break the swirl of wind which used to sweep across the green. Sweet peas are being trained on it for the summer months. The aviary, containing about 20 canaries and Java sparrows,, has been swung back and turned to face the west, and karaka trees are to be planted to fill in the gap from the north. The general appearance following the improvements is most pleasing.

Councillor G. Mitchell drew attention at the City’s Council’s works committee meeting yesterday to the frequency with which roads, dug up for drainlaying, or mending, were left in a state that wrns a positive danger to motor traffic. “All they do,” he. said, “is to heap in the spoil, and pile it up.into a mound, which makes a bump on the road. Then after a month or two, the mound becomes a rut several inches deep, with the same result. In the older countries these trenches are filled in, rammed down, and re-paved the same day.” In his opinion something should be done in the case of the Gas Company and others to make a better job of such eruptions in the streets of the city. Councillor Mitchell said that there was a notable instance of the sort on the Hutt Road, of which every motorist was complaining.

If there be any truth in the saying “The Lord helps them who help themselves,” then Wellington cricketers should have a successful season. The chairman of the Management Committee (Mr. P. B. Broad) mentioned at last night’s meeting that the committee had decided to shift the scoringboard from its present position to the eastern side of the ground and to enlarge the board to make it 100 per cent, more efficient than at present. Mr. J. S. Hanna explained that the work of dismantling and re-erecting the board would be done by volunteer labour, and a working bee of some twenty carpenter cricketers would assemble with hammers, saws and spades at the Basin Reserve next Saturday afternoon and they expected to have the board re-erected by 6 o’clock.

“My wife was walking along the. Crescent recently, and had the heel of her shoe ripped off completely,” complained a member of a Roseneath deputation to the works committee of the City Council yesterday. The cause, of the unheeling process was a water toby, the covering of which projects above the footpath.

While working on the steamer Nikau at the Queen’s Wharf at L2O p.m. yesterday afternoon, Charles Gabrielson, a watersider living at 128 Tinakori Road, had his right leg fractured by a falling bag of bonedust. He was attended to by the Free Ambulance and taken to the hospital.

The Petone Borough Council last night received a letter from the Railway Department regarding the Koro Koro Road overbridge, advising that It was proposed to renew the decking at an estimated cost of £255, and asking for the council’s cheque for that amount The council decided to make inquiries into the matter before “obliging” the Department.

A collision between two motor-cars which occurred at the junction of Taranaki Street, Wakefield Street and Jervois Quay yesterday morning, indicates that traffic lines to direct the course to and from the different routes would be of great help. From appearances and the position of the cars it looked as if one of the drivers was not accustomed to driving through that part of the city, which is one of the most tricky places in Wellington and a real test for the motorist.

Plans are being prepared for remodelling and enlarging the brick portion of the Brooklyn School, and the work will be carried out on the removal of the old infant school building. The new infant department, it is expected, will be finished within six or seven weeks. The old infant building was formerly in Vogeltown, and for nearly thirty years has served as the infant school on the present site at Brooklyn.

That the Hataitai Post Office should remain open between noon and 1 p.m. was a request made to the Post and Telegraph Department by the Eastern Suburbs League in support of the Hataitai Progressive Association. The Department replied to the league last night that the matter had been Investigated, and it was found that the Department would not be justified in opening the office as desired. It therefore regretted that the reqnest must bp declined.

The town clerk of Wellington has written to the Petone Borough Council in connection with .the Pipe Bridge, stating that the City Council is not prepared to provide any additional footpath on the bridge, as the structure is not considered capable of carrying the additional load. When the letter was brought under the notice of the Petone Council at its meeting last night it was decided to again communicate with the various local bodies on the matter.

“It would appear that certain of our local transport concerns have decreed it that all phases of city life shall be laid before the tourist,” writes “Citizen.” “Whether it 1 in the best interests of the city that such should be is another question. On Saturday I saw a well-known observation bus proceed up Taranaki Street, and then turn off down" Haining Street —the nearest approach we possess to the notorious ‘Chinatowns,’ withouf which no great metropolis would be complete. It certainly seems strange that Haining Street should be included in a sightseeing tour. In addition the street itself is a perfect nightmare of potholes. Perhaps no harm will come from it, but we should certainly not like any visitor to form an impression of Wellington from one of its very worst , streets.”