PROPOSED CIVIC SQUARE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 118, 14 November 1929, Page 8

PROPOSED CIVIC SQUARE

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —It is rather disconcerting to learn from correspondence in your columns that a possibility exists of the already heavy burden on the ratepayers of Wellington being increased by the expenditure of approximately a quarter of a million pounds sterling on a civic square. This scheme will involve the'moving of the fire brigade station from the present site at a total cost of £50,000. The expenditure of this sum could be condoned if any material advantage to "the city, from tue fire-fighting point of view, would be gained. As it is, the Fire Board is well satisfied with its present site, and would be perfectly happy if additions costing approximately £10,000 were made to the present station. From the reported remarks of the superintendant it is noted that the present station is quite satisfactory at' present and undoubtedly will also serve the needs of the city for at least another 20 or 30 years. The present station also provides a quick, easy, and safe get-away for the engines, whereas the proposed new site will mean that the engines will have to move out into fast-moving traffic on a street which will become more and more congested as time goes on. Surely these facts must be considered before any definite move is made to spend any more of the ratepayers' money. The Mayor, in his inaugural electoral campaign, stressed the existence of the heavy public debt of this city, and it was understood that as a business man he would endeavour to reduce this heavy burden of debt. , Any expenditure on such a scheme will surely result only in a "white elephant" being "purchased by the-ratepayers, and it is incumbent unon our council of business men to ensure that every penny they spend will be to tho material advantage of the city. There is no doubt that unless they can, through the alteration in fire brigade site, bring about a higher efficiency in our already very proficient fire-fighting unit, any expenditure of public money on this civic square scheme will be absolutely wasted. I trust, Sir, that the ratepayers will demand some account of the total cost'of this proposed scheme, so that they may know exactly what the increase to their already heavy burden will be, and also what justification there is for this expenditure of public money.—-I am, etc., LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP. (To the Editor.) Sir, —On reflection, one wonders whether there is really any need for the numerous protests which have been provoked, by the proposal to call on the alreadyoverburdened ratepayers to provide Wellington with a civic square. It is now very near the end of 1929, and one is impressed with the possibility that civic squares may not be included in "Municipal Fashions for 1930." There is some reason to believe that the Auckland. ratepayers did not altogether find it simple to cut the cloth for this garment according to their purse. One can readily conceive a civic square in Chfistchurch.. .That city, is admirably endowed geographically for such outlay, but it is difficult to conceive how Wellington may be regarded in the same light. Especially unsuitable for this'purpose, at any rate, is the area .in the vicinity of the Town Hall. One has only to watch the traffic at any busy period of the day to realise that the City Council would immediately be faced with two alternatives —to restrict the freedom of motor traffic or to endanger the lives of the increased pedestrian traffic that would follow.. While this is based on the assumption that the provision of. a civic square would be a success (which would require proof) the promoters of the scheme no doubt anticipate that the realisation of their dream would embody the conversion of this locality into a focal point in the city's activity. In such an eventuality, it seems inevitable that commercial vehicles would not be able to proceed through this area as they do at the present time. The proximity of the wharves and numerous warehouses alone is justification for this traffic and in addition it affords invaluable relief to the congestion in the busiest streets As it would be unreasonable to" expect existing commercial activity to be hampered in the interests of "castles in the air " surely there would be one predominant result from the transfer of the city's congestion to this quarter, namely, chaos — I am, etc., ECONOMY.