THE KENT-TERRACE CULVERT TROUBLE.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 5

THE KENT-TERRACE CULVERT TROUBLE.

AN INDIGNATION MEETING AT NEWTOWN. THE COUNCIL ASKED TO CHANGE THE TRAM ROUTE. On the invitation of Mr. G. 11. Baylis, a meeting was held in th~e Newtown Schoolroom last night to protest against Kent-terrace being used as the route for tho electrical tramway. There was an attendance of about fifty citizens, including Councillor Barber. Mr. Henry Hurrell, President of the Ratepayers' Association, was voted to the chair, and remarked tiiat it was encouraging to find by the attendance that public interest had beeu aroused in the Council's recent actions. The convenor of the meeting reviewed tho position, wfuch, he said, did not reflect much credit on those immediately responsible. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Baylis said he did not pose as on expert, but he did claim to have some knowledge and exEerienco in the construction of works. Ho ad spent a great deal of time during the pafit few days_in trying to find out who was responsible for the changing of the route for the tramway from Cambridge to Keut - terrace. But no one seemed to know. The Town Clerk could give no definite information. (Ironical laughter.) It appeared to him (Mr. Baylis) that some one had intended all along that the new lino should go along Kent-terrace without the knowledge of tho public. Neither the City Council nor the engineers knew what tho cost of tho Kent-terrace blunder was going to bo. Tho speaker, thought tho cost would be nearer £5000 than £500 before the work was finished. He did not tlunk the Council should have given tho work of planning the alterations to the culvert to the Electrical Engineer. An electrical engineer did not seem the man who should have made the alteration, but come one who knew something of culvert work. Mr. Baylis, speaking as a practical man, assured tho meeting that the capacity of the culvert in Kent-terrace would bo reduced if Mr. Wright's prdposals were carried out, and already in storm times that culvert could not carry away the storm-water. Any one who knew anything about concrete work knew that there would be shrinkage; and when concrete and wood-paving were placed upon the fcop of the culvert-— under Mr. Wright's plan — there would bo a wretched piece of roadway. Wasn't it time, asked the speaker, that tho Council got its affairs looked after properly? (Hear, hear.) There had been a mistake made some time ago by the Council's officer regarding a sower put through the Hospital grounds when tho filling-in operations were going on. He (Mr. Baylis) had pointed out at the time tliat tho work was being^ improperly done, but hia advice was ignored. That mistake cost the Council" about £1200, though the Council had been told that tho amount ■was very much smaller. _ The meeting should resolve to go to tho Council and protest against nny money being spent on Kentterrace until a thorough investigation had been made and provision was made for such capacity of culvert as to safeguard the interests of Newtown in time of flood. In answer to a question, Mr. Baylis said the rise and fall of the tide affected the outfall of the Kent-terrace culvert. Mr. W. A. Worth said the caso was serious, and should bo looked into promptly. He knew of damage done in the past through storm-water which, could not be earned off by the Kent-terrace culvert. Mr. Rand, iv a strongly-worded attack upon tho Couricil as a body and some of its individual numbers, and also upon the late City Engineer, complained that the Mayor and Councillors had kept ratepayers too much in the dark. It had been said that tho City Engineer's resignation had got tho Council out of a difficulty, but how about the ratepayers who had to pay the piper? (A voice: Pay up with n smile!) In his opinion, the alternate plan put before the Council by Councillor Wiltshire — to reduce the crown of tho culvert and to give an extra, culvert — would have been best, though the most expensive. Mr. Rand also suggested, amid applause, that the Mayor ana Councillors should call a meeting in the largest hall in the city, and at that meeting take the ratepayers into their confidence. Councillor Barber was called upon for an explanation of the position', but that gentleman said he would rather not speak Under present circumstances. He was present as a resident rather than as a Councillor. He had done nothing he was ashamed of on the Council, ana he would be willing to face his constituents at a public meeting, as suggested. The Chairman said he thought Councillor Barber's attitude wns fair and reasonablo in not entering into an explanation at the present time. He admired Councillor Barber's courage in attending the meeting and his loyalty to his brother Councillors. Coanc.»or Barber Added that he did not feel justified in taking the. Chief Magistrates place in giving the present meeting an explanation. Mr. Baylis said the Council panted a further ram of £75,000. It should give ratepayers an explanation before asking for that loan. The Council must not think ratepayers were a lot of "sucking gulls," but should take the people into its confidence. Mr. Alex Wilson declared, amid hearty applause, that the present Council -was more to blame for the present muddle than the late City Engineer, and that the meeting had no confidence iD tho Council. Ihe Corporation should be ordered to stop the Rent-terrace work and take the tramway along Cambridge-terrace., On the motion of Mr. Baylis, a deputation was set up with instructions to wait upon tho Council as soon as the Council could be met to urge it not to proceed with the- work of altering the culvert. The deputation consists of Messrs. Baylis, Hurrell. A. Wilson, Rowe, Wills, Halo, Rund, Worth, Preston, Humphries, Watson, M'Alpine, Priest, and M'Coll, with power to add to their number. On tho motion of Mr. A. Wilson, the deputation was also instructed to ask the Council to take up the rails at present laid along Kent-terrace and lay them along Cambridge-terrace. On the motion of Mr. Rand, it was resolved : "That the Mayor be called upon by this meeting of ratepayers to call a public meeting in the largest hall obtainable in tho city for the purpose of explaining* to citizens the position regarding recent bungles, and also to place tho financial position of the city before ratepayers." It was agreed that a letter should be sent at once to the Mayor asking him to put an immediate stop to work in progress along Kent-terrace. All the resolutions wore arrived at without a dissentient voice. Mr. Hurrell then addressed the meeting upon muddles of tho municipality generally, and grievances felt particularly by the Ratepayers' Association, after which he and Mr. Baylis received votes of thanks, and the meeting dosed at 10 o'clock. i THE MAYOR IN REPLY TO CRITICISM. The Mayor made a statement to a Post reporter this morning in reply to what was said at the meeting of Nowtown ratepayers called by Mr. G. H. Bavlis last night. There was, he said, no alteration in tho route from Cvmbridge-terrace to Kent-terrace. The Electrical Engineer recommended Kent-terrace in the report he made shortly after his arrival, and tho Order-in-Council specified that route. As to the Kent-terrace culvert, the proposed alteration would as a matter of fact •lightly; iacmae it» carrying capacity.

Turning to the subject of the electrio tramways generally t< the Mayor said that very great progress had been made. X great deal of the equipment is now here, and tho balance will bo to hand by 1 March. The power-house is almost com* pleted, and tho tram-sheds are approaching completion. As is apparent to every citizen, the worjc of rail laying is being pushed on erpeditiously, and good progrees is being inado both by the Corporation and the Gas Company in the work of shifting the various mains— a work which involves a great deul of labour and considerable expense. ' By April next, said His Worship, tli« ' citizens of Wellington will be able to ride in the electric care along the express routo to Nowtown. The horse-car nervier will bo continued for wine time along th« Cuba-*troet route, but it will be gradually decreased in length as the work of laying tho rails along the same route in proceeded with. The reason for laying down the express route fiiyt was to s&vo tho citizens as much incouvenience as po*. eible, but they must bo prepared fc> p tt fe up with eomo djscouifort until the whola system is complete, especially when Wil- - lis-street, Manners-street, and Cuba-stiseb are in hand. The discomfort will, how. over, bo considerably reduced owing to tho fact that the work is being done in \ the summer months.