TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5374, 6 September 1904, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Tiro tramway track through tho city will bo completed in about the a fortnight; it will ho delayed fully two months before tramways, cans can ho run on tho oentral section. The reason for this delay is that the necessary preliminary work of. raising tho electric lighting and telephone wires will not be completed before tho end of the longer period. This is another instance of the deplorable lack of foresight and firmness that has iboen shown ever sines tho tramway service was mooted. To have an interval of two months between tho completion of the city lines and the running of cars is absurd—so absurd that it cannot ha excused. If tho Council had firmly grappled this questisn of removing overhead obstruction, all cause for delay for such reason could have keen long ago removed. Instead of this work being done in the expeditious manner required by the circumstances of the case it has been as languidly undertaken as if time was of no consequence. All sorts of futile excuses have been, and will continue to be, made for the delay. In the meantime, the tracks are being rapidly finished, and at the. end_of a week or two will -bo completed. Then citizens who have watched a long series of blunders will bo able to contemplate tbo casual methods of officialdom in clearing the road of obstructions that should have been removed long ago. The pottering methods adopted have, of course, to be tolerated, but they ipake heavy demands on tho public patience. Of ono thing there can bo little doubt — that had there been a strong hand in control of tho city’s undertakings during the last year or two such things as are now complained of would have been impossible. Though tho official estimate of tho time when cars will ran over tho central sections is two months, tho public is now beginning to have an idea that tho end of the wearying, muddle is not even within sight.'

Tho action ' of the sea has gradually undermined a largo portion. tnonKDON of the concrete rctainingesplanade. wall on Thonidon Esplanade, ' and, at present tho wall leans outward at an angle of about thirty-five degrees. Tho outside portion of tho road, originally' flush 'with tho top of the wall, has in consequence subsided, and lor some hundreds of yards there is now a huge trench, which is a source of danger to traffic. It is not roped off, and at night is not even lighted. The absence of railing along tho sea-wall, which is on a level with the crown of the road, is also a subject for complaint. At high tide tho sea along the esplanade is from six to eight feet deep in places, and several instances of people accidentally falling into thewater have occurred. A few pieces of chain hanging to rusty spikes are the only remains of a life-line, originally fastened to tho wall. Now, there is nothing for a drowning person to clutch, the top of the wall being some feet rlbovo the surface of the water, Some months ago a body was found in the sea alongside tho wall, and at the inquest a verdict of “found drowned’’ was returned, thejo being no evidence to show how the person had got into the water. A few months ago a man riding a bicycle went over the wall. A more recent occurrence was when an elderly ladv stepped into tho harboijf. She was rescued almost dead by a constable. 1 Even a single rail placed along the edge of the wall would bo a great protection to tho public. However, as nothing is being done to prevent collapse, the whole wall will probably fall into the sea. l