UPPER QUEEN-STREET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5394, 1 March 1879, Page 6

UPPER QUEEN-STREET.

TO THtt EDITOR. Sir, —Aa the City Councillors are soon going to deliberate upon the important question of the levels of Upper Queen-street, I would invite all those interested therein, as well as those who really have the welfare of the city at heart, to strenuously advocate the cutting of Upper Queen-street. The ; proposal by the Couucil is, as I believe, that the grade shall remain the same as it is at present, with the exception that there shall be a filltng-up of about four feet at the bottom of the hill, viz., from some little distance beyond the Army and Navy Hotel to the end of the wooden pavement iti front of tbe Turkish Ba'hs. I would ask, where is the utility of this, without an equivalent lowering or cutting-down at the top of the hill ? i'or it will leave the houses and shops fronting the street at that part of the proposed (illingin still more in the hollow, without adequately increasing their values, by not cutting down tbe hill farther up, and bring- 1 ing a greater traffic into the city .by tbia, tbe j shortest, the straightest, and tbe natural 1 outlet and entry to the town. That the Cfty Council will have some day, even if they do not do so now, to cut down Upper Queen-street, every thoughtful and far-see-ing man in Auckland can perceive; and it would be far more economical to do so now, or, at all events, to determine on the 16-feet cutting, than to delay it for several years, when the compensations then claimed will have iucreased tenfold. We have heard a great deal from time to time of the wonderfully good exit from the city that Wellcaleystreet East hod proved. Now, sir, I appeal to you if thi3 is uot a<l buncombe, for—leaving the fact entirely out of the question — when you arrive at tbe top of this vauuted exit from the town, have you not some five or fix huudred yards more of a tolerably steep gradient from the top of this street along the course of Symonds-strcet till you cotnu opposite to the Caledonian Hotel ? This is an unnecessary gradient for vehicles of every description to incur, and mu3t tell upon animals, even those in the lightest of buggies ; for whereas those—aod 1 think they are most interested therein—who maintain that when you are at the top of this Wellesley-strect iSasfc, you have Burmounted the hill, —it is notliuig oE the sort. You have auother hill in Symonds-street itself still to asceod. Then, again, near the bottom of NVellesloy-street East, there is a nasty angle, and anyone in tbe habit of driving in by this entrance to town cannot fail to remark it. Everything points to Upper Queen-street an the natural egress aud iDgress to the city. Lt is tbe straight coutiuuatiou of the town's principal street; it is considerably shorter thau any other street out of that end of the city ; it radiates from the immediate neighbourhood of tbe market-place, which will be --in fact, we may Fay is now—the centre of the town. Population and building are trending that way now, as witness Mr. Lennox's handsome row of substantial shops ately erecte.i, and as you, sir, very succiuotly remarked in your ablo article about a week ago, that "shops and places of business extend above Wellcsley-street/' which latter >trcefc, I may observe, leads into a thoroughfare that is composed of private residences, n.'t shops aud places of business. I may also observe, whilst on this topic, that nearly every property-holder iu Upper Queen-street advocates the KJ-feet cutting, and there are a few, I believe, who would williugly subscribe to have the matter settled. In fact, X do not think that there would be much difficulty in getting voluntary subscriptions to tbe amount of £800 or £1000 from those who, more far-seeing than their neighbours, can see the additional value it would put on their property were the exit from the city made an easy gradient. Tbe City Council will, perforce, some day have to fill-in, so as to enlarge its proper and natural width, the ugly hole or gully on the right of the street as you asaend the hill iu front of the boot factory and Mr. Neil's sections. Therefore, why uot do it at present. If they are only going, as now proposed, to fill-in 4 fees in the actual breadth of the present road, it j will still more put Mr. Neil's property iu a hole, and passers-by will still have their eyes offended by the unsightly nanowing of the , road aud the dilapidated fenco at the side. Trustiug that 1 have not trespassed too much on your valuable space, and asking you for your powerful influence, before it may be too late, in advocatiug cutting the hill down, I am, &c., Citizen. Auckland, February 27, 1870.