HIGH STREET SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20950, 13 August 1931, Page 12

HIGH STREET SCHEME.

PLAN FOR NEW OUTLET.

EARLY START UNLIKELY. TIMES NOT FAVOURABLE. It appears unlikely that any steps will be taken in the near future* to proceed with the High Street extension scheme. Although the need still remains to relieve tho congestion in Queen Street and the lack of an adequate northerly outlet from High Street is admitted, financial conditions aro not considered favourable to enable tho scheme to be commenced with advantage at present. The Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, has written to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, in reply to a request for a statement upon the position, stating that in view of the high proportion of tho City Council's income from rates at present being absorbed by standing charges, and the consequent need to postpone the raising of any now loans of the magnitude that would be required to carry out the work, ho was not personally disposad to reopen the matter at present. The scheme could not be regarded in the light of an effort to relieve the unemployment problem, as the greater part of the cost would comprise the purchase price of the land. "The only possible grounds on which urgency might be suggested would be a rising tendency as regards land values," said Mr. Hutchison yesterday, "and looking at the value which the Post and Telegraph Department put upon the Shorthand Street post office property when tho last negotiations with tho City Council wero in progress, there appears to be more likelihood of the land being obtained at a very much lower figuro by waiting." The attitude taken by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, is that the scheme is purely a matter for the City Council. The department maintains that tho Shortland Street post office has adequate access at present and tho carrying of High S'treet through the post office block is not required by tho Crown. The Cabinet requires that a portion of the block, 57ft. 3in. to Shortland Street and 50ft. in depth, must be retained for post office purposes and for the remainder of the block, through which the street would run, the sum of £69,100 has been asked. A condition of the offer was that the City Council should make over to tho Auckland Law Society the portion of land at the back of the Supreme Court buildings for the purpose of a new law library. This offer was later withdrawn by the Government, and no reply has been received from the Minister of Public Works to the last communication of the City Council on the matter last February.