THE WESTERN SUBURBS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 122, 28 May 1929, Page 8

THE WESTERN SUBURBS

(To the Editor.) Sir -The first two paragraphs of Messrs. Lambert and Simms pronouncement co£ sidfnt thJ mselres- ?te Ben«eaen are prt sidents of progressive associations which comprise alf and sundry in the first paragraph, and in the second they presume to speak as "representatives of the ratepay- ?; t . part from that «« implication. is that they speak for all the ratepayer of thei -western suburbs when as a matter ot tact there were many ratepayers in the western suburbs who voted against the f Wn U s^eet scheme; and the majority pi all the ratepayers voting denounced it IS iT?£ with c "Pressed judgment o£ the Wellington North Ratepayers' Association previously announced. But the Mayor has given finality to the project. J-He ratepayers have voted against tramtrack work through Bowen street," says the Mayor, "and that work will not be proceeded with." It would be useless to traverse further the fatuities of this joint production. There is one point that condemns the whole of it as unworthy of credence or influence. «m "V m]> ert and Simm say this:— Air j D. Sievwright makes the statement. that the representatives of these associations 'denounced' the Bowen street route. This is a pure fabrication. We have never 'denounced' this route" When anyone makes a statement like that about Mr. .1. D. Sievwright he wrilhV Ure °£ his eround- for Mr. Sievwright does not say things without knowledge of the facts. Mr. S. E. Lambert, as president of tba Northland Progressive Association, was urging the advantages of Hill street, as against Boweu street at a meeting of the Civic League. He said, among other things, Hill street was a financially sound proposition. Hill street would save 43*» chains compared with Bowen street, winch would reduce the distance by au« other 14 chains. Hill street would gave b.3 minutes. Bowen street 4.3 minutes, as compared with the present journey. Hill j street was to cost £29,000 to save 3 i minutes; Bowen street £64,000 to save % minutes, Now, said Mr. Lambert, "Tha amount allowed in this proposal (£64,000) for compensation would in all probability; be far exceeded. . . . The question naturally arises: Where is all this money to come from? Would the ratepayers sanction a loan for such an amount for? a saving of one minute in running tima as compared with Hill street?" "Mr. G. T. Hall, president of the Karori Pro* gressive Association, supported the re» marks made by Mr. Lambert." Of course, if there are two Mr. S. E. Lamberts, presidents of the Northland Progressive Association, then I will hava to apologise to one or other of them for having said that the representatives o£ these (Northland and Karori) associations denounced Bowen street. Still, Mr. S. E, Lambert has now the satisfaction of knowing that the ratepayers as a whole hay« denounced Bowen street, and the Mayor? has given the ratepayers, through th« | Wellington North Ratepayers' Association, satisfaction by saying that "the tram track work through Bowen street ia not to be proceeded with." After that it would be a work of super* erogation to pursue Mr. Lambert's and Mr. Simms fatuities further.—l afiu etc., J. D. SIEVWRIGHT. ■ 27tb May, 1929.