STREET WIDENING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4082, 21 June 1900, Page 3

STREET WIDENING.

THE QUESTION OF FRASER’S LANE. Proposals for widening Fraser’s lane were put before the ratepayers at a meeting at the Wesleyan Methodist Schoolroom, Sydney street, last night. There was a moderate attendance, including tho three city members, of Parliament, and Messrs Anderson, Murdoch and Tolhurst, Councillors for the Thorndcn Ward. Mr J. P. jtaxvvell was voted to the chair, and read letters from Dr James and tho Bishop of Wellington expressing regret at their being unable to be present and sympathy with the object of tho meeting. Dr James, in his letter, said he considered it simply a scandal that within a stone’s throw or the Parliamentary Building and the Anglican Pro-Cathedral such a nuisance should exist.

Mr H- D. Bell was the first speaker. He remarked that but for the fact that during his Mayoralty in 1897'he wanted to purchase Miramar, and that the city did not agree with him, he should probably have been Mayor in 1898, and Fraser’s lane would then have been carried through to Mulgrave street. Those of them who lived id that part of ■Wellington knew that the land adjoining the lane was, as to a large part of it, practically unoccupied, or occupied by buildings which did not add a very great sura to u.e value of the land. They could scarcely find a lane in Wellington the land on both sides of which they could acquire at such a small cost as tho land adjoining Fraser’s lane; while, on the other hand, if a broad street ran through it the land was in such a position that it would be of very great value indeed. He would suggest that the Council should acquire tho land on both sides of the street, a distance, including the width of Fraser’s lane, of 280ft—100ft towards Sydney street and 180 ft towards Pipitea street, and if that were done they would have a piece of land fronting the new street as valuable as the land which they had purchased. Even) however, if they did not sell the land for as much as the land they purchased cost them, the amount of the burden cast upon the city would bo very small. They had power under the City Empowering Act of 1897 to borrow for the purposes of street-widening a sum of money which should not cast a greater burden upon the ratepayers than an additional 2.)d in the £, which, on the present value of a penny rate, would be equal to about £105,000. Supposing it cost £4OOO or £SOOO to widen Fraser’s lane, that would be a. mere fraction of Id in the £, and when that liability was extinguished, they would, under tjie terms of the Act, be still able to borrow £105,000 for widening other streets. He moved the following resolution: “That this meeting strongly urges ■on the City Council the immediate neces- 1 sity of widening Fraser’s lane, and thereafter other-similar narrow tlioroughfares, «ndi opening up in liou thereof new streets of not less than, one chain in width.” (Arralause.) Mr J. Hutcheson, M.H.R., seconded the motion, and said it was not generally known that Mr Bell,in his capacity of. member of tho marbour Board, was the originator of the; idea of resuming Grainger street,, which would result in very great benefit accruing to the Te Aro end of the city. The city of Wellington would never get authority from Parliament to take over, and administer some of the narrow streets of the town until they purchased the land contiguous and made them 66ft, wide. He heartily supported tho proposal before the. meeting. . • _•„ Mr A. R. Atkinson, M.H.R., said, they had the House of Representatives on one side and the Pro-Cathedral on the other, and they could not suggest that Fraser’s lane in its present state formed a suitable, neutral territory for the meeting of the representatives of cither Church or State. (Applause.) From the point of view of both tho Church and tho State it was an absolute scandal that Fraser’s lane should have been allowed to continue so long in its present condition. It was an offence to the nose, to the eye and to the moral sense, and from the point ot view of those organs it should be swept away. ' The resolution was then put . and carried unanimously. • Mr George Fisher, M.H.R., expressed himself as being m perfect accord with the speech delivered by Mr Bell,' and raovcc l— .“That the above resolution be conveyed to tho City Council and. supported by a deputation, consisting of the members for the city and Messrs H. D. Bell, T. K. Macdonald, ’M. P. Cameron, T. Orr, T. Carmichael. J. B. Harcourt, O. T. xiichardson and, J. P. Maxwell.”

The motion was seconded, by Mr T. Carmichael. Mr T. K. Macdonald said so far as tho financial aspect of the proposal was concerned, if the City Council. took the matter in hand tncy ought, in his opinion, to make a very considerable profit out of it. ' He was quite sure of this, that if the same powers were_ given to two or three capitalists in this city of purchasing the land as were given in the City Empowering Act to the Council they would find at once that the capital would be raised for the purpose, that the ’ capitalists would construct a street 66tt wide, right tnrough Fraser’s lane, and would get a very handsome return from the outlay. And if when , they had dealt with Fraser’s lane in that manner, they could go a little further and take Wingfield street, and carry that through, they would make Thorndon bright and light, and would add to its value by 100 or 200 per cent. (Applause.) He urged that if necessary they should not; stop at tho deputation, but take further action in the matter. The motion was carried unanimously, and on the invitation of Mr T. K. Macdonald, the meeting passed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr M. P. Cameron; for liis action in promoting the meeting, and to the chairman for presiding.