WESTERN ACCESS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 148, 26 June 1933, Page 10

WESTERN ACCESS

WORK OF REAL VALUE

TWOFOLD BENEFIT

Mr. E. A. Wright, M.P., has stated that he is a strong supporter of the proposal to shorten the tramway route to the western suburbs by means of a deviation via 80-wen, Muso..«i, and Sydney Streets. , Speaking on Saturday night, Mr. Wright went over the history of this much-argued access pr.ob.lem, and, coming to the present proposal, said, that early in 1931, when it was realised that tho City Council would not be in a position to meet the cost of con-, structing a new road to carry the tramway tracks through private property between Bowen Street and tho western end of Sydney Street, a proposal was brought forward to confine the tramway tracks to Museum Street and Sydney Street, thereby obviating the taking of private properties and the heavy and expensive excavation work involved. It was shown that this route from a tramway point of view would bo equally as effective as the'original route, and would save a sum of approximately £40,000. VIEWS OF EXPERTS. The proposal. was submitted to the then Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (Mr. F. W. Furkert), who expressed his approval of the work, provided the Government retained tho right to call upon the corporation at a future date to remove the tracks if it was found necessary in the interests of the Government to close Museum Street. The head of tho Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr. Marsden), who was also • approached, stated that he would offer no objections in respect to the Dominion Laboratory, .provided the safeguards proposed by the Public Works Department were given effect to. ' The Tramway Department, in submitting this proposal, undertook to lay the tracks in a manner that would minimise noise when passing at the rear of the Houses of Parliament, and if re* quired, to run the tramcars at reduced speed when Parliament was in session. In October, 1931, continued Mr. Wright, he had introduced a deputation comprising the Mayor, councillors, and citizens to the Prime Minister and had presented a petition signed by over 6000 electors, asking'for the Government's approval of the access proposal. In that petition it was stated .J.hat the council had sufficient money available to construct the proposed tranv Toute without raising any loans, and that the work could be done at a cost of £24,000, instead of £75,000, the amount required for any other route from Bowen Street to Tinakori Road, and that the saving in running costs would amount to £2000 per annum, while there would be a further gain by an increase in revenue from, increased traffic. . GOVERNMENT SAYS NO. Late in. December, 1931, a reply was received by the City Council from the Prime Minister stating that Cabinet had decided it was unable to see its way to entertain the proposal. In 1932 the Civic Commission reported favourably upon the proposal, and in view.of the definite views of the engineers of the Corporation and also of the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department being fully confirmed •by-'the commission, the Mayor decided to again approach the Government, and in April, 1932, placed the whole position before the Prime Minister. In a reply from the Prime Minister dated April 27, 1932, it was stated that after full consideration of the additional representations on the subject it was regretted that the Government was unable to see its way to vary the decision conveyed in the letter of December, 1931.

And there, said Mr. Wright, the matter stood, but he was convinced that the deviation was a work which should be pressed "for, in the interests of residents of the western suburbs and of the city tramway service generally.