VERY GOOD-VERY BAD

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 134, 3 December 1926, Page 7

VERY GOOD-VERY BAD

W-LLINGTON'S FOOTPATHS

WIDELY DIFFERENT OPINIONS.

A complaint that the footpaths in the suburbs generally aro in a very bad condition was made by Councillor R. A. Wright at last night's City Council meeting. He referred particularly to the state of tho paths in Miramar, and oxpressed the opinion that the expenditure of £14,000 upon Kent terrace was not more necessary than the expenditure of money on tho improvement of footpaths in other parts of the city. Councillor F. Meadowcroft made a plea for the construction of footpaths on Karori road.

Councillor Semplo said it was a very long time since the council had spent anything on the paths at Brooklyn. It would be interesting if a return wore prepared showing the amount of revenue obtained from Brooklyn and the money spent in Brooklyn. Ho referred to the bad condition of Happy Valley road.

Councillor G. A. Troup said that there was no doubt that in tho past the footpaths in' Wellington had been neglected; perhaps they were worse than in any other, city in New Zealand.

The latter statement brought Councillor F. W. Manton to his feet with a statement.,that Wellington's footpaths were the best in the Dominion.

The Mayor (Mr. C. J. B. Norwood) said he could not agree with a suggestion by Councillor Troup for the raising,, of a loan for the purpose of footpath construction and repair. Ho be--1 lieved the work should always bo done out of revenue. If the council had the money it would be more necessary to make paths than to repair existing ones. • All councillors knew .very well, said Councillor B. G. H. Burn, that the money allocated to suburban districts was not spent in the suburbs, for No. 1 and No. 2 districts (city) overspent their votes _jjd word went out to the suburbs, "Stop work," and so suburban roads and footpaths suffered. * THE CHAIRMAN'S REPLY. In, reply, Councillor Bennett said that the heaps of soil at Miramar were now being removed. About £14,000 would be required to put all the city's footpaths in order, and this sum had been included in the special loan proposals, not yet approved by the council. The Works Committee considered that the work of cleaning up all footpaths could not be met out of ordinary revenue. It was for the council to say whether the special loan proposal, including a number of important works other than footpaths, should go forward. He proposed to submit a proposal to the Works Committee at its next meeting that the councilshould be asked to make available £10,000 to £20,000 to see the committee through with several necessary works, including footpaths^ the committee would be able to make suggestions whereby a substantial part of the money required might be obtained. Glasgow street, every member of the council fully realised, was in need of improvement, but it presented a difficult and expensive job, as a heavy concrete wall would be required; that was a matter to which the Works Committee would give early attention. In regard to Councillor Burn's statement that money allocated to suburban areas was spent in No. 1 and No. 2 districts, he could only say that returns taken out in the past had shown clearly that the suburban areas had been very well treated in the matter of expenditure, accounting for a greater sum than the city areas, from which the greater part of city revenue was obtained. In regard to Happy Valley road, continued Councillor Bennett, provision had been made upon the estimates for the expenditure of £250, but that amount _liad had to bo cancelled and the work would now have to be considered as for next year. Happy Valley road, he considered, might very well be given a seal coat instead of a bituminous surface. Councillor Semple remarked that £250 would not nearly meet the cost of the work. With that the Mayor agreed, adding that plainly that work was one for next year.