The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY. OCTOBER 17. 1911. RIDGWAY STREET.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12824, 17 October 1911, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle "Nulla Dies Sine Linea." TUESDAY. OCTOBER 17. 1911. RIDGWAY STREET.

Ji; another column a gentleman, for whoso opinions on matters of public ir-tercst wo entertain sincere respect, writes over the norn de plume of "Citizen" to protest against the leasing of the Ridgway Street frontages between the Museujm It^ad and the Library.

While wo rocogni.se that the writer is actuate.! by tho best of motives, and thai'his appeal to the council is not tainted by the .slightest suspicion of

personal interest, it seems to us that in estimating the objections to the proposal he has failed altogether fo consider the advantages .which would certainly result from",, the conversion of a now quite unprofitable frontage, into a revenue-producing area; Those advantages ywefe :.'eleuriy' indicated by the deputation which waited on the council, ai its last' meeting, arid in our opinion—assuming the estimated cost of clearing J;his site and of tho rentals likely to bo derived therefrom to be approximately aoeurate—those * advantages considerably outweigh the objections raised by "Citizen." We should not likej to see any serious encroachment on any portion of the reserve capable of-being advantageously used by the public, but so far as we can see no such serious encroachment is involved in the Ridgway Street proposal. Mr. iJavid McFoilane, in stating the ease to the council on behalf of the deputation, said the excavation necessaiy to provide ample room for shops could be done without taking more than about a quarter of an acre from the ilats at the top. "Citizen," however, considers that the present slope of the hill is no more than is required for stability, and that the full depth of building lots would require to come off the flat, unless the construction of an expensive retaining wall is added to the scheme. For definite information on this point we must await the preparation of a report and estimate by tho Borough Engineer, but. in the meantime .vo Ihink it may be taken for granted that the carrying out of tho proposal would not involve any really noticeable loss ..Hand on the top of tho hill. That being so, the only other objection of any consequence is what may be termed the back yard view from the edge of the flat. The weight of that objection is minimised, if not entirely removed, b.y the fact that it would be necessary for anyone to go right up to tho edge of the slope before the back yards of the business premises below -would- come into view, particularly if, as would iieedv.to be done, a low but ornamental fence or live hedge were run along the whole length of the frontage for protective purposes. The advantages which 1 would result from the adoption of tho proposal are obvious. In the first place a large portion of an important street in the heart of the town, which in its present condition is certainly neither useful nor ornamental, would be made r.vailable for profitable use and occupation. But what is perhaps of more importance to those who, very rightly, regard the preservation of our public reserves as a matter of vital urgency, the resultant revenue would make possible the speedy and effective beautification of Queen's Park, for it must be made an essential condition that the money earned by the reserve shall be poent on the reserve.