THE WAITEMATA BRIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 17

THE WAITEMATA BRIDGE

Sir. —May I quote verbatim the relevant portion of a letter from the Sydney correspondent to the Melbourne Star concerning the Sydney Bridge? "After two years of actual experience of the bridge as a working proposition, the disappointed citizens of the northern suburbs claim that the bridge has been little less than a curse to them, because increased costs in nearly every direction have more than outweighed the apparent advantages." 1 quote the above in reply to your correspondent M. Irwin, who challenged my statement to the same effect.

Also, your correspondent says that "the Sydney Bridge is not a liability to the taxpayers." How can that be the case, when all who use the bridge, except ]>sdestrians, have to pay tolls yielding I*loo,ooo per annum, and in addition ratepayers pay taxes yielding £96,000 per annum, for the upkeep of the bridge, whether they use it or not, and in addition £67,000 is paid from Consolidated Revenue for the same purpose? Your correspondent also refers me to Mr. Greville's figures. Nevertheless I cannot approve of a bridge for Auckland Harbour costing £2,000,000, because, in order to yield/an income that would justify such a capital cost, it is necessary to anticipate that the harbour traffic that would use the bridge would be two and a-half times the volume of the existing traffic of today. That is why 1 suggested £BOO,OOO as the proper capital cost for the proposed bridge. Thomas A. F. Stone.