HARBOUR BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20072, 9 October 1928, Page 14

HARBOUR BRIDGE.

Sir,—lncluded in your report ox a re-, cent meeting o£ the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association is the statement that the "City Council conveyed its opinion that the construction of a bridge was not' at present warranted, but that its future construction could bo considered as a likely possibility." The immediate con- ? struction of tho bridgo is a matter of great importance to many thousands of people, and I am voicing the feelings of those thousands when I ask, why is tile bridge "not at present warranted"? It is not because of the cost. The bridge can be constructed by private firms with-., out its costing the people of New Zealand - a penny. It is not because the tolls would be insufficient to pay interest; * maintenance and sinking fund. The tolls y could bo made less than the present charges and yet pay all the ahove. It is not because the volume of traffic would ' be too small. Judging by the traffic on-r, other bridges, e.g., the new bridge at,, Te Aroha and the Hamilton bridge, the ' traffic on an Auckland Harbour bridge would fully warrant its construction. The =.< above statements can be verified or justi- . fied. The City Council can't refute them. It would be very interesting to know why the City Council is so timid in its opinion and so vague in its expression.-.>•. The construction of the bridge is not a necessity, nor it probability, not even a . possibility, but only, "could be con- '* sidered" as a "possibility." It is cheering, however, to note that the council ■, is of opinion that the "possibility" is ,a "likely" one. Is it too much to ask the City Council why it considers the bridge unwarranted, seeing that it will be a splendid thing for the city and need not cost the council anything? G.E.L.