SHE NEW TUNNEL

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 127, 26 November 1923, Page 8

SHE NEW TUNNEL

I ELLICE STREET ROUTE st SUPPORTED 1 J'AKEBRATIO^ s'trW&OUSLY ' | /OPPOSED,". :. , :"•; ..■■•' s* ""' ' *--^2_':" ■'"■■ ■••■■-■■■ I "| A meeting of the committea of Te Ato Society was held on Friday .^afternoon, M& A^A. George being in the. Jjjhair, to. : Spssider.:and.vdiEcusß the re; jpresentations made by a deputation respresenting the eastern suburbs associa•lionß. to the. Civic League on .Thursday Evening' that the City 'Council should ofe requested :to reconsider the plans for <;dwing the traffic tunnel through Mount {•Victoria at Ellice street. "After discussion of these „ representations and the advanced by the chief speaker sin favour of the Rixon grove route, Jthe meeting unanimously adopted the JSollowjng resolution:— ■ , . ?g "Tjftet-steps--be taken to strenuously Oppose any alteration in the ' proposed Spllice street tunnel route to the eastern . ijuburbf, eince . the change of route by -the' eastern suburbs' as- ■ Jfociations disregards the topography of Wellington by overlooking the fact that jlhe 'centre of gravity' from, which all siraffic. should radiate is located in the <jTe Aro area j that it must be evident to itihe majority of residents that a direct '^ram route connecting the eastern and jwestem suburbs by way of Ellico street •jto Raroa road is a matter of vital necessity to accelerate the future expansion B>f the cityi' and cannot be subjected to ,*£ short-sighted policy of parochialism; ■that the Civic League, in arriving, at its conclusions from the representations Smade by the deputation of members .Jfrom the eastern suburbs associations Jwithout hearing the views of the kindred acted hastily and injudiciously." iC. During the discussion 'on the motion 'aome reference was made to the manner in which the council and councillors had been caustically criticised by one speaker ;at the meeting of the council of the Civic vLeague, and the opinion was expressed i'ihat such 'comment was unjustified and 'yas not in the spirit of the aims of the ■■Civic League,, in that it tended to dis.courage rather than to encourage public"jipirited citizens to lend their aid in the Ipiangement of the city. j' Remark was made by Mr. George snpon the fact that when the City Council's decision to adopt the recommendation of the Acting-City Engineer was 'made known, the president of the HaAssociation had in the course of Sn interview stated: "As far as location 3s concerned, I believe that the tunnel will be quite satisfactory to ihe Whole of the eastern districts, providing "an arterial highway is carried to the iSyvest, "as" suggested' by the Acting-City '^Engineer, during the .recent interview we jhad with the Works Committee, and therefore my association offers- no (Criticism on that point, but we are very -seriously concerned, about the- size of the funnel as .now proposed. The ■ statement then made by Mr.. Batfr and that fjnade by him at the meeting of the Civic JLeague, continued Mr.,.- George, wern Jfiharply contradictory, for his first statement/upon the matter suggested' that his association, and other eastern district associations, strongly favoured the construction, of an east-west road, but at meeting Mr. Battcharacter"ised the' Ellice •'streety.route ■ as ridiculous and inferred that the east-west •fc-Appian. Way" wa s not called for. '£■ As he (Mr. ■■George) understood the position from what had been published^ She Acting-City"Engineer ha"d, when" re-' gpmmending the general, policy, of driv3hg a tunnel through Mount Victoria Srorn Eilice street, reserved the right 3flii^B^c*OT^e'na^tera«6hsrtb"?the original plan as to size and grades. It is the intention of the Te Aro Ad■yancement "" Association,* added Mr. -George,'to call a meeting of the various associations .shortly, that a further expression of opinion may be objtained as to the suitability of. the Ellice 'etroet route, having regard. ;to, the jre!quirements of the western" as well as the eastern suburbs, as the better of the two schemes now particularly before the

T - „ I 0 IHB fPITOR. ,' Sir, —As one who is interested both jas a ratepayer-and-as one using a naotoriar, I would like to voice an opinion' <in a manner somewhat expressive of .the interests- of the Eastern Suburbs including Lyall Bay, Kilbirnie, iMiramar,. and Seatpun, on the motion moved .by the Hataitai Association on ihe question'of the proposed -Mount Victoria Tunnel. At the outset I would point out that, whilst the Hataitai Association claims to speak for the com■jjined interests of the above districts, it is'-'plainly obvious' that such association haß-»no'., warranty,- expressed• or understood, to speak for such interests; therefore, J peed,, not dwell upon the parochial epirit; that- dominates the feelings- of ißuch association, but shall take the Jiberty to review the merits of the comparative routes as-reported in -yours of the 23id inst. ;| It is evident; that, in determining a route, the City-Council must be exercised by the questions of grade, length i>t tunnel/, and last, but not least, the best route to relieve the vehicular traffic to those eastern'suburbs at present. £o congested. I submit, Sir, that in arriving at the decision of the Ellice street jroute, r.the -council was combining- wis3om and foresight in taking away all traffic."from. ..that, present crowded . and congested" area 'of Courksriay'.place and Elizabeth street. It:is.assumed.that the principal'motive of tho; tunnel is-for ihe last-mentioned' project, to cut out the Jaboured . route. via Adelaide road and Constable street.

■\ It is likewise obvious that the intense interest-displayed by .Hataitai, particularly by the motoring fraternity of tho district, would be in - the direction of cutting out the "Appian Way" and give a quick way "home-to-lunch" to Hataitai. ■ I would like to call upon the people of those outlying, districts to wake tip at once and riot allow their interests tjo^be dominated by those few who can so conveniently-"ihvoke-the advocacy of the Civic League in their efforts to af-fect-the-general; population, which will be. Berved by" the route as chosen by the city representatives.—l am, etc.,

" r.EASTERN:SUBURBANITE 24t11-Novemhelf.' - ■ ~