SUBURBAN PLEASURES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 149, 27 June 1925, Page 8

SUBURBAN PLEASURES

GETTING INTO TOWN

CORPORATION MUST FACE

POSITION,

'■^ " There is a whole/lot behind the: ''argument; that people go into rooms because they do not like the i,dea of going out to the suburbs," remarked a wellknown land and estate agent to a "Post" reporter to-day, " but, nevertheless, a queue forms up fronvthe street door to the agent's;door whenever -a house is advertised at ,a reasonable rental, no mat-; ler where it is. ..•.•■'.■■.' :/;:.;■

;./'- My experience , is-, that ;it .is geher-. ally, the womenfolk who are against' going to the suburbs,'- for/shop windows have a; tremendous ..'attraction for/some of them Jor six-days of' the/weekj'-but jnenfolk, : .:too, object,.'not' because of' shop •windows,;but because .they, do notlook forward to the .daily strap-hanging into, town in the morning (and .the same thing over again after' 1 work.. / .' '.■■'■■':' ;; ■■•

;".The suburbs -will, hang'back' just as long as .transport .'facilities hang back. It appears to me' that/considerable relief would be given during, the;eight to nine rush ii school hours/could be' staggered,', as. was'done: in" the case ,bf ; the' Civil. Sert.vice during the ..war /and since: cctfitinued with ..the full; consent' of i Civil/servants.'. If the schools, went,lri' even !axquarter: of . an■ hour later ..'immense•■-relief:; .would be ■ given; upon .trams, which ' arrive. in' ■the city:, about 9 -.and-a: quartet of,..an ,:houi; .would -make- practically : no^ difference'■;.;lin./.thei/after^oaki > hourv^of packing' away ■■•;.-: r :;:;: ; ,v////: -j ■■ „-. ■"'-' A:.*-'.yery / considerable, improyejrieht in .trarncar,comfort'"would Ibe' effected also ■■•if the: school ./authoritiess would endeav'er .to . inculcateKinto;'their pupils, a sense of jbetter.'manners-and'the desirability,, from thY: narrow,/viewpoint "of the .mere adults/who' pays -full /fare, ; of less noise .and stupid!nonsense, /; '■'..':'\''.'■ '-'.The Corporation, will have"to realise the importance: of making' tramcar .-.taws elling .more attractive by .'more''comfortable travelling, particularly in.' .wet vpeai 4her,?by Jess crowded ; travelling, and probably,;by.' 'cheaper 'trayellirig, other-wise,-Avhether:. the .public is: short-sighted or :hot.Vsuburban residents' .will .forsake teams;.for. r busesy and the;■tramway^'department,; and iin.the.lo'ng "run-the,-whole community will /suffer;! >„However,:,it>is" df^nb 1 earthly usei ,t : o:-argue,::with :a.man' who : has callouses,V:on'.the first';thicee fingers of r his' left hand from/three^years' slraphanging about ftlie iolly ; of .not.sup--portingihis.'own enterprise;,if a bus man, comes alorig: and/offers him a seat he will sit. v:....;.*..'\ ;.'■:...! - .;,.;:-."....'..,i ■'-■;■; ■.:.;.v,:-;.; -;•■;

:.•:';' If' the_ tramway; committ'eemen- went intb.the land "arid lestate agency business for/a:few., weeks"they would probably,he' quits "surprised at the .number "of "times prospective" buyers:: ask:..' Are, [the.buses likely ■■-■to -run :■ this .way ?' -v So far. the private '.bus business-.'has iio'tv grown (to anything' formidable; in >Wellington, J but as soon asvmpre'good:roads-go down ;it is' bound ;tb booing. unless. the .Corporation gets'nn: straight; away; and,^provides "a transport service ; :'which':':: : satisfies.'-'the 'people. whoTues; it,' and 'at: the 'samei time ■ doesjasjinuch :.as : anything '"can to" take away the disadvantages t.which .the sub'-.' urban j dweller xcdnsiders': "himself -X to vsb" c: under,;'and ■■■ so_,^ as the:(next. step^' eofls overcrowding in the; city, area."- : ;i