No Money to Spare for Harbour Bridge

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 585, 11 February 1929, Page 13

No Money to Spare for Harbour Bridge

HIGHWAYS BOARD’S VIEW

MORE CITY SUPPORT NEEDED

A deputation from the Harbour Bridge Association which waited on the Highways Board this morning, got very Irttle change, except the advice to secure more enthusiastic support on the city side of the harbour.

Any suggestion of the board helping financially Mas soon disposed of. Mr. G. OTiallora.ii. vice-president of tlio association, stressed the need of a bridge to link up the highway system. He pointed out that the Government had offered £SOO for preliminary investigations of the bridge site. He commented on the facilities of cheap, easy and. continuous access that a bridge Mould provide. “You can scarcely find anyone now that does not think the time has arrived when there should be a bridge,” remarked Mr. A. Harris, M.P. lie said the movement Mas muen more than a pureiy Auckland matter. The question was so essential that they thought the Highways Board might take the question up. Every local hody and individual for hundreds of miles- was directly interested. Tlie stage hud arrived when some Government or other body should come in and push the thing along. They believed that it Mas a national question, and they desired the sympathy imd assistance of the board in so vital a question of transport. The Mayor of Devonport, Mr. E. Aldridge, stressed the neeessitv for a bridge on behalf of local bodies. "No scheme ot highways can be complete without this link being forged,” he remarked. “We believe that the bridge can be made self-supporting and not become a charge on your funds.” Several other speakers placed traffic and financial figures before the board, pointing out that even with the vehicular ferries nearly SIR) vehicles a day were crossing the harbour. Mr. H. Greville suggested that at least the board should subsidise the erection of the bridge. Mr. Moore, advisory engineer to the association, said that a 20Uft span, with a clearance of S 6 feet above high water, should be suitable. A Harbour , J± d . official had since suggested a 1,400 ft span, which, in his opinion, was extravagant and unnecessary. The chairman, Mr. A. E Jull in quired whether there were any’ citv representatives present. There were none, but one from the Henderson Town Hoard was present, and supported the scheme. Mr. Jull, replying, said there was every evidence of sincerity, though it was noted that the national spirit did not seem to have crossed the harbour to the city. “I want to remove from your minds any idea that wo have so much monej that we don’t know what to do with it. and can easily face an expenditure ot three-quarters of a million.”

He inquired why there was any worry about approaching the Highways Board if the bridge was to be on the toll basis and self-supporting. If the board was to come into it either the bridge must be free, or there must be a syndicate idea. As a board they would have to consider whether the board was in any \Vay directly entitled to consider the question. At present the magnitude of the work in Nbrtli Auckland was inclined to affect the nerves of the board. There was to-day a. service, even if it was inadequate. Was the board to spend all its money on the gate or to provide the roads that would produce the traffic. The boai'd was used to being told that the works it was asked to foster were “national.” He gave his assurance that the board was too far committed to consider any expenditure on a bridge in 1929. It was committed for years. Also he felt that there must be more interest displayed by the city than was evident at the depElation to-day. It would be idle to encourage any Hope in view of the commitments in the North and elsewhere during the next five years. “I commend your continued optimism and enthusiasm, and suggest that in the meantime you secure the active co-operation of the couple of hundred thousand people on the city side of the harbour,” concluded Mr. Jull.