EXHIBITION SITE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 59, 11 March 1937, Page 8

EXHIBITION SITE

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—Let me have a few lines of your valuable space to support Mr. Len McKenzie in .his advocacy of the Leraud Street site for the Exhibition and also to answer the criticism of "Central." Firstly, to prepare the Thorndon site the Harbour Board has to pull down some buildings; some of their land and land belonging to the Railway will be tied up. Secondly, the smoke from the railway yards will be a serious disadvantage. Thirdly, there will only be two entrances to the Exhibtion, one via Waterloo Quay, and the other via the ramp from the Hutt Road; to make, any other inlets the railway must be crossed. What is going to happen if a large number of oversea steamers are in loading meat, etc.? The meat trucks have to be shunted via Waterloo Quay and traffic will be continually held up at the Davis Street end near the railway! goods yard. Again, what a congestion there will be along Waterloo Quay, with the lorries, etc., using the goods shed and the trams, buses, motor-cars, and pedestrians going to the Exhibition. "Central" says that Thorndon wants improving. Certainly it does, but the soot that comes from the railway yards from engines shunting, etc., is frightful. If the Exhibition is organised properly the extra distance will not effect it to any great extent and the City Corporation trams and buses will benefit thereby. The money spent on getting the Thorndon site ready will be as great as it would be to level out the Leraud site. Fresh air is one important factor, and within a few minutes' walk people could see from the top of Houghton Bay Road some magnificent scenery, a view of the Wellington Heads, the Pencarrow and Baring Head Lighthouses, and a

splendid view of the South Island, L'yall and Island Bays: Let us see what facilities there are at the Leraud site. The trams pass right by the Duppa Street side, an entrance at the end of Rintoul Street, Russell Terrace, and also off the Houghton Bay Road. There will be parking places for thousands of cars without any likelihood of a jam;l the Newtown trams could be extended to the end of Russell Terrace, the Island Bay car to the end.of Rintoul Street. Let the directors weigh up what it will cost them per year ground rent, etc., at Thorndon ahS then inspect Leraud site and compare the two and I think the latter site will more than -repay them and the people of Wellington in the years to/ come. Water chutes, pretty, welllaid out grounds, etc., would be no trouble at Leraud Street; in fact, a permanent White City could be built there." It would be only a few minutes' walk from sea bathing at Island or Lyall Bays with a golf course right on the spot.—l am, etc..

"CAR PARK."