Alternative Route To Wellington City

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 256, 27 July 1939, Page 11

Alternative Route To Wellington City

Sir—Your recent support to the city engineer’s proposed Alternative city entrance and exit, particularly the latter, is highly commendable, and the amazing aspect of this most important proposal is the apathy of our local chamber of commerce and ratepayers’ associations, who should see in Mr. Luke’s proposal the absolute necessity of the extra route being provided at the earliest possible date. The various associations mentioned could very well advocate Mr. Luke’s suggestion being effected immediately in the interests of the city as a whole, and it is up to them to get behind the engineer by impressing on the Government and our city fathers that the matter be no longer delayed as it is of prime importance, not only to Wellington, but to the whole Dominion. The engineer sees professionally the possibility of the chaotic conditions our citv would be plunged into should it be" bombed from the air, or a major earthquake occur. The authorities concerned dare not permit any longer either possibility continuing. The possibility of bombing of the city or a ’quake blocking our present exits should induce all and sundry to insist on the extra exit being established forthwith, owing to the consequent panic that would ensue if there was no quick evacuation possible. If the city were razed by fire, the position would be truly awful. Indeed, it is possible that an earthquake might not only affect our roads out, but also our harbour bottom and aerodrome runways, in which case there would be no escape by land, air or sea. Our population would thus be truly trapped and everyone located here must be concerned at the possibility. The land to be used for the proposed extra exit is already vested in the council, and the bulldozers, etc., could eat out the route at infinitesimal expense. , There is, therefore, no reason whatever why the engineer’s suggestion should continue to be ignored. Correspondence has appeared in your columns respecting this matter, but a smug atmosphere of security still exists, but we never know what is coming to us.—l am, etc., NON-ALATRMIST. Wellington, July 25.