KAIWARRA'S NEEDS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 134, 7 June 1923, Page 4

KAIWARRA'S NEEDS

DISCUSSION WITH THE

MAYOR

EXTENSION OF THE TRAMS

MANY OTHER LOCAL MATTERS,

A meeting-of residents' and ratepayenr'of Kaiwarra/was held last night for the purpose qf^considering'fseveral local questions, incMdilig^e^e^tension of the' trajhway systemJ'aibnglthe.:: Hutt road, anet the need.':lof^a-3ie*;'scnbol. Mr. A. W. wr Palmer presided,"!.'aiid.' Jlr. E. A. Wright, M.P. 'for Suburbs and Mayor of Wellington;;'.was present by invitation.

$Ir. E.,BuUjwas.the.first speaker, and at^the BtiggesttdM"bf;!'tliosC::i)l'esent no dealt with,Tlli6,".Ma*3iy; question first. Owing to.'tS67-a6s9iice"of.:tranxs.the residents of-Weraistndt",""lio'.'said r 7l}ad put ■up'AwitJi many disabilities, arid it-..was about time they pressed their requirements upon the City Council. * There seemed to him to be no reason why the trams. should not be extended immediately. It had been said that the road improvements would not -be tackled for another two. years. Did it mean that the residents would have to wait that long-for-drains? The Hutt road was very ex-, posed to both prevailing . winds. Kai-' vraira had advanced greatly during re. : cent years, and deserved more consider ation. :

Mr. R. E. Flaws endorsed the remarks made by Mr. Bull. He asked the Mayor to regard the tramway extension work as urgent—more urgent, perhaps, j thsn-^the duplication of the. Island Bay J Jiner rHe"prop'6 >seiJlliat"KaiwS¥a k"sh'6'u'ia r establish a ratepayers' association, which could from time to time put forward the district's claims.

The chairman drew attention to the fact that the big city loan provided. lor the extension of the trams to Kaiwarra. The Kaiwarra people wanted to know the reason for the delay in spending tlje money authorised. '' „:.;; "Mr. Wright said he could.not understand why the' Kaiwarra people complained of the train service, which was pyobably the best in New Zealand. He doubted 1 whether the tram's' "would be able to compete successfully.in' the master of fares with the railway*:... Except during the rush hours, it would be poseible to run only a limited,', service to I^aiwarra until better access. was. provided to Khandallah. Island • Bay-had fca-d to wait fifteen years for'its muchSeeded duplication, and Kaiwarra would rot have to wait that long ior.trams. £The money for Kaiwarra 1 was there-—it \Vould not be devoted to any other purpose—but the council could not do. all the works at once. The expenditure had to be. spread over a number of years, and in that way waste would be avoidied. The council had decided, upon, the order of merit of the new works, and the improvement of the water supply came first. .The-i came the power question.. 'Trams could not be extended to K'aivarra until more power was available. The plant was running up to the very limit. The laying down of a permanent service on the Hutt road was urgent; the need for better roads in the city was of paramount importance. The council had decided, against his wish, to lay the new tram truck iii Victoria «treet before extending the system. Victoria street would be put down in a permanent .service,- and the same plant ■wipuld be used there, as on the Hutt load. There was a possibility that the 'extension of thg trams along the Hutt toad would be commenced next year. He would not give a. definite promise, because he might not be able to keep It. However, he could 3ee the possibility, and Jic hoped the residents would Efld comfort in that' There was no fiavthly reason why the line should not be laid next year. Other districts besides Kaiwarra wore calling out for, ■works, but all requests, could not be joiet at the one time. He urged the residents to form a ratepayers' association, for such an association could do good ■work.. .The suggestion was a valuable pna ■ , . '

Mr. Bull asserted that Mi-. Wright had given a very good reason why the trains had not been extended to Kaivarraj- Kaiwarra was one of the oldest districts in the city, and although its residents had suffered many disabilities it was not all the fault of the City Council. He expressed the opinion that Ilie trams running to Kaiwarra would receive very steidy patronage all' through .the day.

Mr. Flaws referred to the disabilities of the residents of Rangiora avenue, fcalf _a . mile beyond Kaiwarra. The houses there were not served with any modern conveniences, and although the avenue was lit by electricity the lighting department refused to connect the residences. Drainage, and. water, were loth lacking.

The Mayor said he did not understand the reason-for-.the^position: outlined by Mr. ■'Flaws, but he promised to look into the matter thoroughly, and see what could be done, .

.; The chairman..emphasised the need for renewing tho water mains, >n Kaiwarra. tfhese had. been inspected by Superintendent Tait, of the' Fire Brigade, and condemned-. ■ The mains were badly corxoded, and* in some places the- water scarcely trickled through. In the; event of fixe thero would be no" protection. Mr. Palmer also asked for the erection of a. bathing shelter on the Kaiwarra teach. Thqr old Onslow Borough _carniarked £50 -for' that purpose, and the money was now held by the City Council. "He also suggested, that; a public iall should be erected, and he felt sure ihat the ratepayers would -willingly pay a small rate, if such. a. work, jras,undertaken.

"These- matters should have been ■brought up prior to the election," stated Mr. Wright in his reply. He promised to consider the requests, most of which viere quite nc.v to him. In regard'to the public hall, he said: "I don't think you have the slightest •chance. I agree that it'is necessary, but we must face the facts."

Tim need for a new school on the site-pin-chased by the Education Board was then discuWed, and the Mayor agreed to accompany a deputation, which will shortly wait upon the Minister, and ask the reaioa for the delay. '"lie school was absolutely inadequate for the tramtier ot .childre.i in Ihe district. The ch'irchrc-om had been rented, 'which nieant that the school was divided. That was not in tbe interests of the scholars.

-Mr. Wright asserted that the Minister knew the needs of the district. When tlic Minister inspected tho 3chool he gave orders for the :mmsdi?te erection of a new school. The Public Works Department then discovered that a large retaining wall, to cost £8000, would be necessary before the site could;he prepared. The idea of erecting a new school on the chosen si^e had not been abandoned, but new plans were now' under consideration. If these plans, proved sa-tVactory the cost of the necessary ■work would be materially^ reduced. The matter now rested not with the board, but with the Education 'Department.

Mr. Wright- was accorded a, hearty yote of thuiiks U» Htteiiding the. meet: ins-. : '•; ■ - ... ■ . ■ ■