THE APPROACH TO THE RAILWAY STATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7443, 23 December 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE APPROACH TO THE RAILWAY STATION.

TO Till: KDITOIt. Sin, —1 wo our civic authorities have commenced operations with the unemployed upon thn open space in front of the proposed new railway-station, and in the formation of Cumberland street, and the apparent intention is.-so far as the works have gone during the past day or two, to form u triangle, bounded by High street, Cumberland street, and Rattray street, and to prepare this space for trees and ornamental shrubs.

With your permission I want to point out tlio inconvenience this enclosure will cause to tho public traffic with the railway -station. Opening on this space—which for convenience siikc I will call the " parade''—are 11 streets. Certainly three of those streets bound tho three si.los o'f the parade, but they cross each other at the corners, and may fairly be, said to open on to it. Now, if the centre part of this parade, is enclosed and planted, passengers and vehicles passing along Vogel street, Crawford street, Bond street, High street, Dowling street, and Jlacandrew street will have to main: a detour round the corner to reach the railway-station, whereas if left open and metalled all over, and smoothed down with the street roller, the rail-way-station would he open to view from all quarters, and everybody having tu go there, would lake the nearest and straightest road to it, ns everybody wants to do when going to or coming from a railway-station. I think it will be a huge mistake to enclose the parade. We have a magnificent Town Belt; let the beautiful native shrubs and trees growing there be conserved, and let others be planted on tho open spnees. If trees are really wanted to beautify the parade, let them lie planted round it, but, do not enclose it. There is another strong reason for keeping the parade open. We have in this city n large Volunteer force, and there are no parks or open spaces for them to exercise upon such as they have at (.'lirislehurch. Here U a grand opportunity for providing them with n parade, ground, mill ! submit, sir, that our Volunteers are entitled to be provided with tho best facilities for learning military manceuvres. I (rust you wil| cousMnr this question of sufficient importance to afford opportunity for discussing its bearings in vour columns.—l am, &c. X. Y. A. Walks.

December 21