ACCESS TO ROSENEATH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 35, 10 August 1925, Page 7

ACCESS TO ROSENEATH

TO ZBt EDITOR. Sir,—ln your issue of the 28th ultimo a report was given of the Eastern Suburbs League's annual meeting, in which Mr. D. M'Laren is reported to have said :. "On behalf of Roseneatb, he thanked the league for its assistance in getting ahead with the vital need for Roseneath—better access." Now, Sir, at a meeting of the Koseneath and Mount Victoria Progressive Association, held at the Koseneath Schoolroom on Wednesday last, I was instructed to deny that the residents of Roseneath are in any way indebted to the Eastern Suburbs League, or any other league, for "assistance in getting ahead with the vital need for Roseneatb —better access," and to point out to the public that had it not been for the action of he Roseneath and Mount Victoria Progressive Association in preventing the lift scheme, from becoming an accomplished fact, Mr. M'Laren and his friends would have foisted a white elephant on to the ratepayers of Wellington.

In proof of this statement I have only to quote the motion of Mr. M'Laren, as reported in the Press, passed at the last annual meeting of the Roseneath and Oriental Bay Electors'^ Association, which "reaffirms the association's request to the City Council that the erection of an inclined lift bo proceeded with." .To shuw what tho effect of putting that resolution into operation would have meant to the ratepayers of Wellington, I have only to quote the Mayor's statement, published in your issue of the 31st ultimo, where lie is reported to have said :—"lt was considered that as the Tramways Department had escaped a very serious annual loss on the lift, it should make a contribution to the cost of the road improvement." Further, our association desires to draw attention to tho fact that when a deputation from the association's executive interviewed the Mayor in June of this year, they invited the Mayor and tho City Engineer to view the district. and submitted the Carltoii Gore road route for their consideration. This interview was reported in the Press, and drew from the secretary of Mr. M'Laren's association the opinion that this proposal was absurd, as that particular road could not he put in order "under £22,000.

Our association had no desire to reopen this discussion, but seeing that Mr.. M'Laren has gone out of his way to mislead the general public we have no alternative but to point out the facts as they arc.—l am, etc.,

K. H. STICKNEY,

Hon. Secretary, Roseneath and Mount Victoria Progressive Association.