THE FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 151, 23 December 1918, Page 7

THE FUTURE

MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT

HINT AT LOAN PROPOSALS

SCHEMES TO' BELIEVE CONGESTIQN.

WATER, DRAINAGE, AND TBAM-

WAY EXTENSIONS.

From the point of view of municipal government the year just closing has been a quiet one, and only essential and urgent works have been carried out. To say that the year has been quiet does not mean that the officials have had an eaisy time; qnite the reverse has. been' the case. War conditions caused them many troubles, what with shortage of labour, overworked plants, lack of coal, and th© like. Altogether it , has been a very anxious year and one full of uncertainties, ending with the disastrous epidemic, the battle against which largely devolved on the municipality. All thiough the year great difficulty^ has been experienced in securing sufficient laltrtir to carry out the ordinary works of tho council; and then came the■tramway trouble, which took so long to settle. It is generally conceded that the City Engineer (Sir. W. H. Morton) has, under the circumstances, done remarkably well—a fact thoroughly recognised by the City Councillors, who,-at their final meeting last Thursday, were unstinting in their praise of the work done by that officer. /The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has given the closest attention to municipal matters, and he has also found , time to devot* himself to various patrir. otic efforts in the interests of the soldieis.

THE 1914 SURPRISE PACKET. It would-be wrong to say that war conditions no longer einst, but it is to be expected that conditions will-gradu-ally drop back to normal;' What/ then, of the future ? It is a fact that, fellington has_ outgrown itself; and sooner or later big development works - must be commenced. It is. interesting.'to.fecall the big loan proposals: made by the Mayor (Mr. Luke) on-the occasion of his installation,: in May, ,_ 1914."' Briefly, these provided^for the borrowing'by/tlie ■council of a • sum amounting in-v all: to more than £300,000,/ to be devoted to a series of works,' including this*traffic tunnel through Mount {Victoria (£70,----000) ;■■ wood-blocking:' Featlierstqn-street, Thorndon-quay, Mercer-street, Wakefield - street, Jervois-quay, ■ Lower Tarariakilstreet (£61,588) • Oriental Bay Esplanade (£10,000); regrading Hawker-street, and new road to Rbseneath (£13,500); new road to Vogeltown (£ll,soo);'Central Park (£13,000); Kilbirnie Recreation Ground (£19,000); extension of Town Hall (£7500)'; new road to Brooklyn (£3500); Island Bay improvements (£2300); bath house, Lyall Bay (£3000); swimming bath, Island Bay (£3500]; Kilbirnia Bath (£750); bath a.\ Brooklyn (£800); bathing shed, Ballena Bay (£250); tramway extensions and improvements (£96,850), Total, £31,7,008. These proposals came from' the Mayor in the nature of a surprise packet, {and,. although every item was not approved by the council, the .majority were.- However, the ratepayers'did not have the opportunity, of expressing their.appjoval or disapproval for the war intervened, and the proposals were shelved indefinitely. Since then much has been done out of revenue. The Kilbirnie . PaVlc stands almost ■ completed,' the Coristablestreet tram has been connected with the •Lyall Bay line, there, is.a. duplicate* line in Cuba-atreet, a new road to Brooklyn, and a start has been made -with the new road to Vogeltown. The Oriental Bay esplanade has taken shape, and Central Park has absorbed quite * lot of money. Many other smaller works have been completed, so, it is plain, the new loan schedule, if it takes shape, must be amended considerably to tfrit the present ■needs.. : ''- - '■ ■ .' ;■"...

PUBLIC HEALTH.

The recent epidemic has shown, plainly „j that the city must expand—that the open space must be developed. Has a municipality sufficient powers to attend fully to the needs of the national health ? "The health of the people is of paramount importance," stated the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), in the amrse of an interview with a representative of The Post to-day, "and all other questions must be given secondary place. Efficiency in either war or peace is impossible '■-. unless the people of the nation are kept fit.. Not only in the houses, but in the streets, and in the workshops; conditions must conform to the demand for health . safety. Much has b^en done, and legislation has been enacted during the last session -which will go a long way towards bringing about satisfactory conditions, but.l am convinced that nothing short of absolute local control of health matters will provide an effective cure. The Public Health Department is, of the greatest importance, and it would be impossible to carry on any process to'improve and maintain the health :.o!, A;the. community without the department,'but its main usefulness should- be in-the smaller towns^-rplaces which have ed capacities of dealing with this important branch. In many ways, the Public Health Department must be supreme—in shipping, hospital management, etc. ■ But I "wish to emphasise the point that in the main, centres*'it is absolutely "necessary that there should be no Unit- o tatioii to the responsibility of .local governing authorities." Mr. "Luke, stated that one of the chief, works of the',coun- . cil in the future would be to 1 devise'ways and means to relieve congestion Tri';'the city, and to that end Mr Morton.; Bad prepared a comprehensive report, which would be considered in due course.l

AMALGAMATORS. The opening of the vaßt areas of unused land, particularly those to the' north and to the west of the city, is considered of paramount importance _in relieving congestion. In this connection Mr. Luko said: "I am of the opinion that one of the most important undertakings is the bringing about of the union of the city with Onslow, 'Miramar, and Karori. The development of the whole district is more vital, I think, than the expansion of separate localities. The general good of the whole community can be Dest promoted by bringing about a metropolitan government which will provide the best"' services at a minimum cost. If any argument is needed to justify the statement it is the absence, in adjacent districts, of such essentials a* water, drainage, light, and transit. It would be folly for anyone to say that these services could be so adequately and so cheaply provided by adjacent boroughs as by the city " Mr. Luke mentioned the case of Miramar, which some time ago established its own power plant, but was very glad to abandon the costly and unsatisfactory concern and again become a/customer of the City Council. The absence of water supply and drainage at Kaiori utid'Ohslow was to bo deplored, and' Mr. Luke hoped that wiso counsels, would prevail, enabling these parts to link up with the city as soon us •possible. It should bo mentioned, that the Onslow Council has approved amalgamation, and that the qtlostion will probably bo submitted lo tho ratepayers early in the new year.

A BETTER WATER SUPPLY. • Wellington's water supply -was the next subject dealt with by the Mayor. Some months ago, in consultation -with

cided th»t. th« mw wrter-wpply achwn* which Mr.' Morton ra : propounding, should embrace the whola of the watershed in the valley as well as Wainui and Orongorongo. "Those in the community who can picture Wellington with a population of 250,000 people and linking up with Hutt and Petone will agree that we must go further afield, and that suitable areas of land that are not now ;. in use as water sheds for the city, or •* for the Hut* Vaaltey,. must be acquired -. for the purpose," stated Mr. Luke. The * Mayor dwelt on the experiences of • Home municipalities who, through lack " of foresight, may be, found it necessary J to embark on very extensive water schemes owing to the distance from which the water had to be brought. "No dog-in-the-manger policy," continued Mr. Luke, "must delay the bringing forward of a scheme which will guarantee a supply of water sufficient . for the whole district for many years to ' come. The immediate needs of Wellington and -those districts surrounding , it would bo met by the tunnelling of the range between Wainui and Orongo- • rongo/ which, when carried but, will in- • crease by 100 per cent, the volume of water available from Wainui. No doubt provision for a large storage reservoir in the city will be foreshadowed in the re- ; port now being prepared. This will en- ' able free use to be made of the double

> mains from Wainui night and day." f It was suggested that the new reservoir i( would be at the Newtown end of the t city. ■*■■' ' -..''";. '■■...

t". DRAINAGE—A NEW OUTLET? * "Financial provision must soon be *■ made' to complete the drainage in the 3 outer-parts of the city," said Mr. Luke. £ Shortage of " labour and material had J hindered this'workj" but now that normal i conditions were approaching progress t must be made and much-needed extenji sions carried out. The dependence of i> the. suburbs on, the city for drainage was •■ one of the problems that the City En-,-gineer must-solvo, so that the whole ; could be incorporated in the.scheme now '■; being operated with so much success. t "There must be no paltry makeshifts," j said the Mayor "The expenditure on ; local septic tanks must,be avoided." It ii was for the Engineer to say whether the ■'; present-sewer discharging into the ocean |: would be ofi sufficient capacity; that; was £ an engineering problem. If not sufficient * another discharge sewer would have to % be, provided, for, it would be infinitely I better than allowing effluents to disi charge into the harbour.

XIOHT AND POWER.

" "The much-talked-of and much-desired n hydro-electric scheme is one of the esj; sentials to successfully meet the require?\ments of the district," . continued Mr. JLuke. "The City ' Council's plant for ''■gpwer^andflight, has-beenworking up to, its maximum and it has teen impossible "tb''obtain" new' machinery" to" meet the brought about by the expansion of ■: itio' community! When the city is linked tup, with the Mangahao scheme—which .- will ba in about five years' time at least -■; —a stand-by steam or oil plant must be V available in • the city. , It is not to be I expected that the.; governing •.authorities % will agree .to the ■present," small nnita ; being kept for-that purpose, and; as the city requires immediate relief on the ' power side, it is urgent that the present : piant should be displaced by a plant with ;■• a much greater capacity." Mr. Luke I thought that an oil plant would be eco- ; nomical if a sufficient; supply of crude > oil could be obtained in New Zealand— from Taranaki; otherwise he would fav■j our turbine.engines." Mr. Luke referred ■j;tq the desirability of developing the light ' and power business, which, with the t trams, were very, successful features ol j'the City Conncil's aotivities. • ' l; NEW AEBAS AND TRAMWAY « - EXTENSION.

f Mr. Luke stated that when he visited" !r England he -wu greatly impressed with the number of trunk tramway lines ; which, in some places, had displaced To ■' relieve congestion and to .open up new spaces in Wellington, Mr. " v Luke urged the duplication of the Kel- ; bum tram, both lines to connect with an electric car service from Kelburn and '.linking up with the Karori tram. Another line could branch off from near the. Tunnel to Northland, Creswick, and I.Wadeetown, and thence through to i Ngaio ,and later to Khandallah. An alternative scheme would be a double line up Hill-street and a duplication of tthe present line as far as the Northland '/:Tunnel. No doubt there would be en.gineering difficulties in carrying the .trams from Wadestown to Ngaio, but .-Mr. Morton, by the construction of the and Wadestown trams, had f shown his ability to' cope^ with these. ;,"I am a great believer in trunk lines," ''said Mr. Luke, "and from myiexperi,'ence I' am perfectly satisfied that they tare, in many cases, more efficient than -.-trains, because they are more easily adjusted to circumstances. The extension ,of the tramway, as I have suggested, :will open up vast areas, and bo relieve • the growing city. Provision mu6t be ■made for the housing of those people ;.\vho will be dispossessed of their homes when congested areas are dealt with, 'and the only way is to make the open 'spaces easily accessible. ,

SUBURBAN TRAINS.

■• '"the" time' has arrived," Mr. Luke Vent on, "when' the railway authorities resume the ordinary running of 'surburban trains. There is no idoubt •that with a frequent train service Petone and Lower Hutt offer considerable opportunities not only as residential areas but aa areas suitable for ifae extension of industries and commercial undertakings. :No one. ; part of the community can prosper without reflecting its prosperity on the )6ther portions, therefore Wellington City js vitally interested in the question of better transit to the Hutt Valley.

VARIOUS WORKS.

; "I would like to dwell on various other ,'iiecessary works, but I am afraid your jfcpace will not permit it," said Mr. Luke. '"I think one of the most important of these is the tunnelling of Mount Victoria in order to-give better access for ■general traffic from the city. The new road to" Vogeltown, via Brooklyn, is urgent, ..and this has, already" been com■menced. Then there is the regrading Of HawKerStreet; (on Mount Victoria) and Palliser-road, so as to give better access to Rosenoath. The lift on to for which plans were prepared' some time ago, should be put in hand as soon as possible, and the wood-blocking of the main thoroughfares, and so improving, them for traffic And abating the dust nuisance is also a necessary .work. . The latter, when carried out, will greatly relieve the cost of upkeep, which now falls heavily on the rates. The question of baths will have to be considered, particularly as far as Thonxlon, is concerned, for that end of the city Will soon be dispossessed of the structure which has done good service to- many years."

NOT TO BE SHIRKED.

'>' The Mayor concluded by stating that Jfr.-Morton's report upon the relief of congestion wooldT be considered by the council at' an'early date. It'was very comprehensive, He did not anticipate that there wonJd be any very long delay in reaching definite conclusions as to 'the works which must be undertaken, vln his opinion, the council wonild work vigorously'in 'ah honest endeavour to do what was beet' for the whole community.. . '/Now that the war .is "over—-now that ■we are on "the verge of peace—there must be no delay, no lirirlting. Wellington has grown swi% Knowing, and»wy provision mmtl* mads io meet-*h«re-