ELIMINATION OF POLES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 73, 23 February 1938, Page 15

ELIMINATION OF POLES.

FROM PUBLIC STREETS. STATE HOUSING BLOCK. With a view to eliminating power and telephone poles from the streets in its new sub-divisions in Palmerston North, the State Housing Department, through the District Telegraph Engineer, wrote to the Palmerston North City Council making certain proposals. These were discussed by the works committee and approved, the full council on Monday endorsing this action. Tlie proposals were:— (1) The State Housing Department provide a legal right-of-way at the back of all sections of power and telephone services. (2) The right-of-way not to be fenced both sides, but to be part of the house sections on one side | thereof. Cross fences would therefore exist. (3) Conditions of lease of houses to provide for no buildings, trees or other obstructions on right-of-way land, and lessees to keep trees, etc., on the sections clear of j )o ' vei ’ and telephone leads. (4) Joint poles to be used with a clearance of four feet between power and telephone arms. Low tension power wires only to be run on joint poles. (5) Ownership, supply, erection, maintenance and replacement of poles to be a matter for negotiation between the electric supply authority and the Post and Telegraph Department. ! The matter of unsightly poles was further brought to the notice of the council when a remit to the municipal conference drafted by Cr. G. Tremaine, came forward for approval. The remit, which also refers to the dust nuisance in unsealed streets, is as follows: —“That in view of the modern trend of tar sealing streets in cities, and boroughs and the necessity for abating the dust nuisance brought about by fast moving traffic, and also in view of the fact that the beautification of a borough could be possibly improved by the elimination of unsightly poles in the streets : 1. Section 125 (5) of the Public Works Act, 1928, should be amended to include provision whereby the local authority may require the owner to tar-seal both the road and the footpath, or at the option of the local authority to deposit with or secure to the local authority the cost of executing such work. 2. That section 332 (3c) of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1933, be amended to include provision whereby tlie council may, before approving a plan of subdivision which includes new Blind at Auckland will benefit to the an easement running at the rear of the allotments for the purpose of the erection of telephone and electric power poles.”