BIG CITY WORKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1074, 11 September 1930, Page 10

BIG CITY WORKS

AUCKLAND’S ENGINEER SEES WELLINGTON SOME DIFFICULT JOBS “I am satisfied that in Wellington they have engineering problems that no other city has to encounter," said the Cijy Engineer of Auckland, Mr. ,T. Tyler, who returned this morning from a visit to Wellington. In company with the deputy-Mayor, Mr. A. J. Eli trican, the City Engineer has been appearing before the Bocal Bills Committee ol the House of Representatives in connection with the City Council’s opposition to the Auckland Provincial Water Bill. Mr. Tyler spent yesterday morning inspecting large engineering works being carried out by the Corporation of Wellington. He was much impressed by the Victoria Tunnel, which will cost £130,000 when completed. This tunnel will be half a mile long and will give access to a wide area 1o the east of the city. A feature is an air-duct, running below a raised footpath. and another carried at the tunnel top. Mr. Tyler also remarked on the advantage Wellington had taken of the Government’s subsidy allowance for unemployed relief. More was being done in this way than in the rest of the larger cities of the Dominion taken together. Gangs had been widening roads, improving corners and easing grades in a comprehensive streets improvement scheme. “Some of the engineering there is almost like mountaineering," observed Mr. Tyler. “They apparently think little of grades of 1 in 6 (Parnell rise is 1 in 8), whereas we aim here at nothing above 1 in 15 if we can help it." Mr. Tyler mentioned the courtesy extended him by the Wellington City Engineer, Mr. Hart, who had afforded him every facility for inspection of the works in progress.