CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1898, Page 6

CITY IMPROVEMENTS.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir — Your leading article upon the above subject on Friday evening, after explaining some of the provisions of the recently passed Harbour Board Empowering Act, goes on to describe the district between Victoria-street aud Courtenay-place, extending from the Gas Works to Clyde-quay, as one of the " worst eye-sores in the city and as a veritable slum." This I must certainly talce exception to, and cannot but think that the writer has little or no personal knowledge of the locality referred to. Both Grainger-street and Allan-street have recently been metalled and the footpaths asphalted to their full width, and the locality is, I venture to sa}', just as respectable and decent as any portion of that end of the city. In it reside hardworking, industrious mechanics and artisans, Fome owning the property they occup}'. There are, it is quite true, some houses which have seen their best da 3's, but because there are on Lambton-quay yet remaining some " shanties" can it be called a slum ? Or because there are in. say Willis-street or Manners - street, some "hovels," are these thoroughfares to be classed as " slums " ? I think not. It is true Allan-street may be called a blind street, but whose fault is that ? Our vacillating City Fathers, and not the owners of the land in the neighbourhood. Many efforts have been made to induce the City Council to carry the street through to Victoria-street, but without avail. Some of the land is slightly lower than the reclamation, but that does not necessarily constitute it an undesirable neighbourhood. For these reasons I must protest against the persistent efforts being made in certain quarters to decry this portion of the city, and to create a wrong impression as to its respectability. I am, &c, Ratepayer. Wellington, 24th September, 1898.