STREET DEVIATION

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 55, 14 September 1928, Page 10

STREET DEVIATION

MERITS NOT DISCUSSED "ECCENTRIC MOODS" Referring to the discussion which took place at the City Council meeting last evening on the proposed deviation at Berhampore, when by resolution of the council the subject was deleted from tho Works Committee's report, the chairman of that committee made some comments to a "Post" reporter to-day. Mr. Bennett said he could not understand cither tho reason or the tactics employed. When a few councillors had expressed a wish to hav»j further time to consider the proposal carefully he agreed to withdraw the clause until (mother meeting. It is an unwritten law in the council that when a chairman of any committee offers to meet 6uch objections in that way he is always given that right. He, therefore, regarded Councillor Hislop's action in insisting upon a deleting amendment as an act of discourtesy, and he was supported in that attitude by the Mayor and some other councillors. A LOT OF HUMBUG. Mr. Bennett said that there was a lot of humbug indulged in by the opposition. Tho council gi^t into one of those eccentric moods into which it periodically collapses. The proposal, he said, was entirely meritorious, and if not agreed to now will be the subject of severe adverse criticism. It* would havo to be done in the future and at much higher cost. But it is wonderful what the council will do at times. "Let us go canny," said the Mayor, "and not take up any more street widening pro-, posals for the present." What were the facts? Far from the proposals being street widening, they were in effect "street narrowing." The council had already provided for the widening of the same streets to 80 feet by tho building line process. The ultimate cost of that work was to be a round £60,000. The new proposals were to reduce the widening of tho same streets to 60 feet, the saving being sufficient to provide all that was required to purchase the land for the proposed deviation. The scheme had been proposed by the City Engineer and Town-planner. A SOLUTION OF TRAFFIC DIFFICULTIES. "For many years the Athletic Park patrons havo. suffered inconvenience in the lack of adequate transport, that in turn being duo to want Of facilities for handling tram cars. This scheme practically makes a gift to tho Department of just what was wanted—a loop return capable of/accommodating sufficient tram ears to give the public the transport they want," said Mr. Bennett. "Yet the chairman of the Tramways Committee (tho Mayor) for some uncanny reason refused the gift. Contrast this with the stupid proposal urged by tho Tramway Department to lay tram lines along Hill street as a short cut to Karori, and one can begin to appreciate the widespread dissatisfaction existing against the conduct of- the city's affairs. "Tho Athletic Park deviation proposal must not be confused as a proposal to spend £60,000 now. It was to bo effected by providing a building line, so that the ultimate result may not be achieved for many years. It means in effect that posterity may pay for the work, but at no greater cost in respect of buildings, than would be the case at present. I am pleased and proud to find that with the one usual exception the members of the Works Committee stuck to their guns; The subject will come before the Works Committee again."