THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20426, 30 November 1929, Page 15

THE HARBOUR BRIDGE.

ADVOCACY OF SCHEME.

MEETING AT TAKAPUNA

TOLL SYSTEM RECOMMENDED

A public meeting held at Takapuna last evening passed a resolution affirming the principle that a harbour bridge was vital to the progress and development of Takapuna.

The Mayor. Mr. J. W. Williamson, spoke of the. Bridge Commission as the most important commission that had sat iti Auckland for many years past. The question of bridge communication with Auckland City was one of vital importance to Takapuna, and the need of it had been affirmed by both the las! and present borough councils. The council considered it essential to the progress and development of Takapuna that the proposed bridge slioulu bo constructed as a means to the increase ol population and to making the attractions of the district accessible to holiday-makers. There was rio doubt at all that settlement on the northern,shore of the harbour was suffering from the want of bridge communication with the city.

Mr. R. 11. Grcville, president of the Harbour Bridge Association, referred to tiie bridge as being essential to the four North Shore boroughs and the country area beyond them. Figures which would be pioduccd before the commission would show that the four boroughs were lagging- far behind the other suburbs of Auckland in regard to progress, for want of bridge communication. The present ferry service was insufficient for the traffic that had grown up with the development of motor transport. The largest number of vehicles carried by the Ferry Company on January 29 last was 180 an hour, one vay only, or three a minute, which was a mere bagatelle in modern, traffic. In a motoring age like the present, means of transport suitable to a motor-owning people must bo insisted upon. With a bridge provided the length of the trip from the city to Takapuna would be 20 minutes. He predicted confidently that the bridge would be constructed, but pointed out that even if it were decided upon at once it would be two or three years before it could be contracted for and completed. He urged strongly that the scheme should be financed, as was the general rule in American bridge development, on the toll system, under which those who used the bridge paid for it. Other phases of the matter were dealt with by Messrs. A. H. Wilkie, J. Guiniven and L. H. Tiichener, members of the Borough Council, and Captain Ashdowne, secretary of the Bridge Association. The resolution was moved by Mr. W. Blomfield, seconded by Mr. P. Billett and carried unanimously.