THE BEST ROUTE?

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1926, Page 8

THE BEST ROUTE?

ACCESS TO WESTERN SUBUftB^

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—The residents in the Western',Sub.>"urbs will, no doubt, appreciate the •s».:->----pression of sympathy tendered to them' by; ;■ Mr. J. D. Sievwright at the long-drawn- "•'-- out delay in obtaining quicker transport " facilities to Northland arid Karpri, but they will also, no doubt, realise after read- _. ing the whole letter that the sympathetic '■" mote struck-by Mr. Sievwright was but-a'-v courteous phrase. Otherwise he would j-' have hesitated to sugggest a scheme "that"'' would delay for many years his sympa-'1 thetic consideration and at the same time. < would mean that in travelling to or from,, our homes by the route suggested; W._ should have to use three modes of trans- - portation. From Courtenay . place , r jjr,-., Lambton" quay to Willis street by electric, trani to destination. To the men users '•' this would not matter, but what about "the; •;• women and children? Mr. Sievwright does' not mention the cost of the proposed route, and wisely so. Just so that the public" may be aware of the cost I would hk»ito... quote the figures supplied by the late gity,_": Engineer in 1923. ■•'■ ;..: Route I.—By cable car to Mount street,... thence to electric car via Glasgow street * to the existing tram lines at the tunnel,-. £108,631. ■ - - ■■ . '.." ':'". Route 2.—By cable car to Mount street)'■■_• thence by electric tram via Kelburn par-ade'C.: to the tunnel, £125,851.. ... _•-• — ;-.» To these estimates must be added; the-' increased cost of materials and-labour and : increased value of properties to be- ac- ■-■' tiuired. Does Mr. Sievwright suggest that.'"* the ratepayers of the city would vote'for.v a.loan of such maguitude in?:the, present '; state of. the, council's / fiilance? lie knows „;., in his own mind that the carrying of iuc'li. - a loan proposal would be extremely ddubt»^ f,ul, and would further delay our..'obtaifc>j<! ing quicker access to our,homes.-, , . The.City Council have'definitely a'n'd^'1 wisely decided to construct the Hill streetdeviation as the best available route. This "V could be immediately constructed .frotm: tramway revenue, will save each year'hi-' ■ runningcostsasum of not less tha.ii £3500. ;■■. This saving would pay;interest and,sinkW ing fund and still show a surplus to the -'_, tramway account and will.save 71,000 miles of cai; mileage .under the existing time-"' table.' Sorely; this is enough evidence' to,-,, show that'I'the" Hill street route is -.not only.essential, but is necessary,-from '"in" '-. economy, standpoint. -.'■ "„.,"...' Mr. Sievwright says that the whole force of the Wellington' North Ratepayers' "As-' '-; sociation has condemned this project ■ ' again and again.. .What is the. strength "of ■• the force of this association —is it 'evjeii.'..; equal in membership to the Karori Pro-" •gressiye .Association or of the Northland. Association, both of which support jthe,,,, Hill street route and who' in- turn have - the support; of. every other ratepayers! association in Wellington,' excepting," t)f ' course, Wellington North—the only ratepayers' association in' the: city which i« unsympathetic? „'.,.. . , " " "' I commend to'the notice; of' Mr. Siev-.i wright the Mayor's statement of the .real- . sons actuating the decision'to construct--the Hill street route. These are sb.iind,. businesslike, and economical, and „ tbo. >X Mayor is to be congratulated for his clear and concise statement. ' In the same issue " of "The J?ost," Mr. G. M. Tolhurst-puts';" forward a scheme that, has much to com--mend it as a working solution' to 'catef iof"" the growing traffic. ' But Mr: Tolhurst does-" not condemn the Hill street route. He -s says that bus and-tram service's are \oj,h j, necessary, and in this statement most •; • ratepayers are in agreement. But";'iEe;".r. residents in the Western Suburbs. -wighi to.'. travel.to our work and back home in tne shortest time possible, at the' mininVuni'" mileage on.a through fare ticket and ■with>' out any change from car to car, or car to—>■ bus, and the Hill street route giveg^us this in- evexy. particular. •■ ••• ■'. • -i : ; ■ We 'strongly; deprecate' the effort befog---made by a minority of councillors to v tp?.t set"the decision of the council arrived'-at-•■• after the fullest consideration and strongly. supported by eminent engineering auth_pri-, tiesA-I am, etc.,.-• •, . ■ ..-;..; ... .:;'?..'". ■■;■■. ? '.' ■'■ -■ GEORGE T. HALL, : " "^i -" ■■■::" ;;"j' .V ' '• " President,,^," .',„". ■ Karori Progresgive Association; ■ 2nd July. , .- _ . ' ..