ROADS AND PETROL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 117, 13 November 1926, Page 8

ROADS AND PETROL

PRAISE FOR WELLINGTON

VIEWS OF MAYOB OF CHRIST-

CHURCH.

"A considerable portion of my time in "Wellington on Wednesday was spent in making inquiries and investigation! concerning road construction and petrol storage," said the Mayor of Christ- '' ■ church (the Rev. J. K. Archer), on his1" return to Christehurch. "As. to the former, I was driven to the conclusion. .-'". that-the. Capital City ia going ahead ... far more rapidly than ourselves in the making of permanent roada. ( Many miles have already been constructed, and these are rapidly being added" to. ■ : It is high time for Christehurch- to ■ wake up if she is going to. hold her ■ place in this respect as. one of the leading cities in the Dominion. ,j "As to petrol storage, I wish* very warmly to congratulate the Wellington City Council and its officers on the energy and efficiency with which - they are' overseeing this matter. In the presence of the chief officer I discussed. . the question at considerable length, and made fairly extensive personal investigations. Speaking generally, it is being found in Wellington that proper i control is becoming more- and more difficult as the years pass by, the;reason being that the purveyors of petrol are not as careful as they be. Two inspectors already give "the whole of their time to supervision, and it-is considered that an addition to the number will have to be made before . very long. Moreover, with the advent of uuU supply,, greater attention will have to be given to the quality of the liquid that is being sold. On the other hand, it is discovered that- bulk- petrol is not going to drive off the market petrol sold in tins. At least two: new companies selling only tinned petrr.l are already operating in the Dominion, and one company, which has begun to do the greater portion of its business on the bulk system, is putting part of its petrol back into tins and selling it in that form. " ' . .

I "Petrol storago assumes three forms in Wellington. First, there are, the. small underground tanks limited to. a capacity of 500 gallons, which are,used iv conjunction with the bowser pumps. Secondly, there are the undergroundtanks of a capacity of 10,000 gallons, such as are proposed to be installed in Addington. Finally, there are the main tanks holding in the aggregate many thousands of gallons. Just now, -in Christchurch, the public are mainly,;interested in the second. Concerning these, the .expert of the Wellington-City Counjil is of the opinion that such precautions are taken'in regard to their' construction and use, that the, danger of an explosion or fire is reduced to an absolute minimum, and, moreover, except on sentimental grounds, ■ their, presence in a residential area should not depreciate the value of surrounding property. On the other hand, he very definitely and emphaticall/ . maintains that they ought not to be placed within residential or industrial areas; "but should only be allowed in dange*6us goods areas. . Wellington has its dangerous.goods area, which is located upon the Hutt road, about half a mile'from .the Thorndoh railway station, and ciutside all residential and industrial areas. Nowhere • else in the city' wouldltankn like those proposed to be put at Addington be tolerated. : .-

'' The Vacuum Oil Company, which is 'causing some of us so much anxiety in Christchurch, may be taken ; a case in point. If has never'applied for per,misison to intio'duce underground tanks, of ijh.e;.-kind'-suggested-'ibr Addingtbn . . in any..residehtial or industrial' area in Wellington. If it did so apply it wojilcl^ be refused permission. i a matter of fact, they are now proceeding to install these same tanks underneath t^o floor of a concrete building of their own in the dangerous goods area. Why they should be doing that in Wellington and doing something different in Christchurch, passes my comprehension. . . . These things and many others which. - might mentionod suggest that; the.proposal to put the petrol.tah.es at Ad-; dington is a' scandal, and if the .City..•. Council grants permission, '■.. ., not.,-.0n1y." ought a Supreme Court injunction^besought, but the council ought, to be. mi: peached for civic high treason.*'•: v '*■--