CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 54, 27 November 1929, Page 13

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

A useful set of engineering tools, to be awarded to the engineering classes at the Technical College, has been received by the Principal from Messrs. Moore and Wright, Sheffield. The enormous amount of motor traffic to the Kilbirnie aerodrome during the pageant, and also to the speedway, brought much business to the Kilbirnie district. The staffs at the petrol service stations were kept hard at it for many hours, filling up motor-car petrolsupply tanks. The coachbuilders’ classes at the Wellington Technical College are to be rev> <1 shortly. Mr. C. H. Chapman informed the Technical College Board that the Advisory Committee had gone into the matter, and thought a more satisfactory attendance would be secured. An instructor is to be appointed.

A few nights ago the electric light at the Technical College failed for 25 minutes, and it spoke well for the conduct of the students that none of them left their rooms, remaining where they were until the light came on again, reported Mr. J. H. Howell, principal, to the Board of Governors this week.

Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed last night with the action of the Wadestown Progressive Association in affiliating with the Civic League. Tffie authority for doing so Was given at a meeting of the executive committee and the motion was carried by a majority of 6to 4. One speaker considered that the action should not have been decided by the executive. It was a very new departure, he said, and such an important question should have been decided by a general meeting of members, after due notice had been given.

Heavy rain fell during the greater part of' yesterday, giving the city and the surrounding district a very welcome soaking. For the last fortnight suburban gardens have been needing rain, and in some quarters, where tank water is the only supply, there has been a little anxiety over the unusual shortage. Yesterday’s downpour was in good time to revive the plants, and to replenish the tanks. Whilst the southern part of the North Island has had less than the average rainfall for the past month, the fall in the Auckland district has been well over the average, and throughout the Waikato and all round Auckland the country is reported to be as fresh and green as it was at the beginning of October.

Matters in connection with Wadestown’s roads became rather heated at the annual meeting of the Progressive Association last night. One speaker, in deploring the state of Cecil Road, said that he knew of a lady who had just paid thirty-five shilling for a pair of shoes, "and just one outing on this particular road completely ruined the shoes. (Laughter). He was supported by other speakers. ‘

The upper section of Carlton Gore Road, which hitherto has. been neither sealed nor paved, was well made up and rolled a fortnight ago, apparently ready for sealing. In the few intervening days the traffic has already worn a number of holes in it, and the bad break between the macadam and the bitumen ending of Grafton Road is steadily approaching its previous bad state; The rain will not improve it, and channels are already appearing. Had the road been sealed at once, probably the new damage would have been obviated.

Lambton Quay is to have another handsome structure. This will be an extension of the present premises of the Union Bank of Australia, which is to fill that section next the bank which has for so long been occupied by a poster hoarding. The section has a frontage of 43ft. by a depth- of 61ft., and will be covered by a substantial steel-framed four-storied building, designed to harmonise with the main bank building. The ground floor of the new building will be' used for banking purposes, and the top floor will be utilised by the inspectors’ branch. The architects are Messrs. Swan, Lawrence, and Swan.

There was quite an amusing interlude at the annual meeting of the Wadestown Progressive Association last night. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., had arrived at the hall prior to delivering an address, and the election of officers was being proceeded with. One man present rose and said that as Mr. Wright was such a busy man they might request him to proceed with his address, leaving their business for later in the evening. Mr. Wright intimated that he was not particularly busy, and had no other meetings to attend that evening. “I ain very pleased Mr. Wright is present to hear you to-night,” said the chairman. “He is chairman of tlie Works Committee oil the City Council, and he may take a little notice of what is said.” A voice: Tell us about the main road. (Laughter).

There are 15 aircraft apprentices undergoing training at Trentham under the New Zealand Permanent Air Force.

Yesterday's rain was very much welcomed by farmers in Hutt’and Makara Counties, one of whom said it was) many years since he had seen the ditches so dry at this time of the year.

For every Hight made by a commercial aeroplane from the Wellington Aerodrome, the City Council receives 2/-., During the past week business has been very good, and the revenue to the Council has been satisfactory.

Tenders are being called for an addition to the Wellington East Girls’ College, consisting of four class-rooms, each 24ft. by 24ft. —two on the ground floor and two on the first floor. The addition will be an extension of the existing building on the western (city) side. Plans have been prepared by Messrs. Swan, Lawrence, and Swan.

Two improvements are to be made to the Worser Bay-Karaka Bay Road this summer. One is the rounding off and widening of the road at the northern end of Worser Bay, opposite the Post and Telegraph Department’s shed, and the other is the splaying back of the acute corner opposite Mr. W. Freeman’s property in Kanaka Bay. At this latter point the road is very narrow, and there is no vision ahead from either side. The work will entail the taking of a strip of land from Mr. Freeman’s front garden.

. While endeavouring to cross Tina--kori Road shortly before 7 o’clock last evening, Mrs. S. Kingsford, of Wilton Road, was knocked down by a passing motor-car. The Free Ambulance removed her to the public hospital, where she was admitted suffering from injuries to her left leg, abrasions and shock.

A new system "of fire alarms is promised for Wadestown, two months after the completion of the new Northland Fire Station. The alarms, explained Mr. A. Stace at the annual meeting of the Wadestown Progressive Association last night, were known as telephone alarms, and on being opened rang a bell in the fire station. A telephone inside the box was in direct com-, munication with the station, and the person giving the alarm could immediately give a description of, and the exact location of, the fire.

The public pjid their electricity accounts in the old office in Harris Street until about two years ago, at which time there was a narrow vacant block between that building and the power house. With a view to public convenience, a new office was erected on this site, which, though narrow, ran back for 40ft. or so, and was fitted with counters, grids, etc. This, however, only occupied 15 to 20 feet of the valuable Harris Street frontage. Within two years the accommodation for the public accounts has apparently again been found insufficient, so the changeover department has been given quarters in a new office on the site of the old power house further east, and a new public accounts department with counters and grids has been constructed on the site of the change-over department. “A Consumer,” says that he would like to.know why the new office, and also the change-over department, have been made with the length occupy-, ing such valuable frontage instead of the length running back into the ample depth of the site. These offices, he says, are only about 20ft. ■ from back to front, and to allow them to occupy about SOft. of frontage seems, in his opinion, to be a waste of valuable space. He also asks what was the cost of the alterations, and-how long will they serve present requirements. The City Council owns about 120 ft. offrontage in Harris Street, and he considers that far from adequate use has been made of the property.