WELLINGTON'S MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 82, 31 December 1907, Page 7

WELLINGTON'S MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS

Interviewed by a Dominion reporter', His Worship; the ( Mayor- (Hori/ : T,;';. W. (fiislop) touched iipon; some of.'the. broader aspects of the/municipal activity in'.Wellington during the closing .year. /. "The' liutt River ,bridgc, which' is'to carry our v watpr - ; mains/'.;, said Mr. YHJ3lop, ' "will bo ; ,thp first large:, work voluntarily iindertak_en,.by;<.jioighbouring; local.,bodies- in conjunction with;, the .City ; of ■ Wellington... This, , affords evidence ' that-Wellington . and! the surrounding- ■places can 'co-operate, when necessiry, in carrying out pjblic works for the benefit ot all A bridge had to.be built toj carry the pipes, and it was .thought by the Council that it would bo a pity to spend n great amount of money on a bridge which,' as far a.s traffic «as concerned, could be used only by foot-passengers .'Suggestions; ttocc aecoidingly made, and wcr,o;,taken;,up by the suburban boroughs and ;by .private landowners, a Go\emmcnt subsidy wa3 promised, and the woik is now in (a fair way of being done ''■{.':.' .'V'-. The Spirit of Co-operatiOrt. -\ ■■'• ■■'■ .'''( : i " In [tramway extension also,!" the Mayor continued, S there tho same spirit-of ..cooperation has been shown The'tram lines .have.,been .carnc.J.,to Ji qci tajn of the/suburban. boroughs/.py ( ..and, 'the'.terms, very, fair .in the. ' actualiworkinl;''-^v : .■' . ; ;';; ■ ';•;';• Referring:' to /..tho .(.making: of the. level re','"^creation".'^oun.ds'Tamohg'.Hie'.steep, hillsides ;-. andUgulhjs. : .'.ivt' 'Eclburnc, : (Thorndon .and Dup'pa said ;.that .mor.p' of' Bupnv.wp^fc.iWas-,ycOb.Vbo'.done. .'The,next .'.-'.' park;;to[..bp v( ji\ado. .would be' at.Kilbirnie.. Its ■v.to£al...i;tetent l (partly; rnade .by (reclamation, ' from 'IJia A jirbour) -would be -IS 1 , acres, hut . -, threei/br .''fpnrwbcresfout pf this (area .would be,'leased in.,a;revenue, and the ' tiqn7\>alpng.'iw.ith-tho park presented; by the late: Captain•:. Crawford.' ■ His- -Worship also said: that-. itv.wo_ul.d .undoubtedly be necessary . frbnY. to. make other, recreation :grpuni|s?by.Jsimilar methods./" '■"'■;.' .:•((; ■', ''. -, . 1. ; .;. ..;;.-...' ,Vf' : 'Th'e''Mayor;heedecl.no' invitation..to speak . of;-the.'.oleetric'"lighting<«hich;was takenoyer , ,byytheecity*during "thß.'year.'.:''Tlie results so,'faT, J ':irhe-.sakli'; '■'.have, .fen-very /satisfac-/ ; ; tory.'<v.;.We ; .determined':to -prico ; tp?all ; cohsumerff who were previously paying ". 6Jd;'vahdVu'pwar'ds|.^'Thp.:resulfcj during- the .first three .months' 1 -:Avas''aTvc'ry/ large acces- •':•-.'■ gi6n- , cost of ~; 'ev6lvmg;.tlieUiglit-r.was' 'somewhat less tlian. , . bef6re,;;iand'the;- incptae peri unit' was slightly ... greaterj{.than;.: during; 'the.'"corresponding • Conser l'ncomei'for -the three months .'.exceeded a .littlo/imore; than,';£ldOO.'the; -; n.etj.iiicpma fdr-th'e' 'dpfresponding-'period dur- . ■ in'g.-.tbip-'last-'year" of .tho-,' company's posses-; ..: "- v V;' ; ':'-" .".: : - : : X Work's Paid for.put of Revenue. ,' ' ' .■'--,,'■;'' The /demaiid' upon'' tho.'.'. new! ... supply: of ,i ... electri.citj;/'for'-'power■'■•/purposes' ihas, ,"been -.-;'.;«li^'My-iiS^ex^s's'r''qi.Vonij.-.'psiiimjiteXiiVTho^in-/ -~.-' jqmS^frdhi-'tho' tramways (has'Vlso,'so- far,. ;'■; ex'c&dbd>tho )r resUrAatp'::,.p£l'the; department;, ./'.an'cPhasi just about reached : the amount which- - ' 1,: .ilidiyidualjyj' ,*©stirri|ted\;"Jho' : .excos3 of "}rk.• "■:^Cjomp',>fj-Bm-^'he "tifamways.',andlpower; supply|' ; . ■■;. oskto;(fb'r : ,de--. ' Prsciati6rii\lias : bsen (partly 'expended/in/ iri- ';'. creasing,; at power r . houseyfinVcpnstfuctiii'g-iiew'tramcar ■ina]irnffi ; pth,er(.additions, tp tho-'trainway serr. ( . vico. wnfchijaro'fairlyActo also,mentioned, fwith .satis3*; although had'heen; madp\ to.. ; raise'loan : money- for; tho construe-. ..tionfand "repairof private stroets,: this ppwor had used, 1 as. all-such;work.had,been ,'' paid'fpr..out'of'revDnue.v:Tho now. departure of the -previous.financial year (ending .March 31, .190/.). of'wood-blocking .the main; strccts ; out ,of/.revenue -bad: been' continued,'-and it (•asSPxpected, that £4000; or: £5000 would bepent m this way' beforp' ; the end pf ; ,the :pre.--year.; •-/'/''/'...•.■.-V'^''- 1 !- ■':•: { ■■■:"■ ■.:'•■ . vAfek^'"f6r".;'a"n"- of his , municipal - pohdy'.fo'r/'tlie coming year;- tho 'Mayor said i-that oho prpblem/tb'bo; tackled-wotildbo a. ■ municipal supplylof gas:> ■.Tho: city, as com- : prised-within tho,. old .boundaries,, bad not itho.pbwor to acquire:the gasworks,- -although, j t{w now, defunct bprough of Melrose had a '. ;right ( of : :purchaso/under'its v agreement with * tho (Gas Company, aaid:tho supply of -gas to , that portiori'of/tho.city, .vvas' still regulated •'■ 117I 17 and'the Act under which ,it "was' made.',..'."'lf,'as' tho'Proihier. has indi- ■•• cat<fl,'' ] ',saicr;Mr. ; 'Hislop, "power, is ,to bo ; given to aH'-vmunicipalitiPs to'purchase gas-' works compulsorily,'it will bo*for tho,Council next, yearsto detoFminooii a policy ''in (regard, to gas-lighting; ' ' Per- ,, sonally, .my .'feeling is-'entireJy iri'favouri of > :«uch a-public -se'rvioo, being:, owned ■by 'the municipality;'/ With limited, powers cpn- / •ferret)/on. Qitv Councils, I think should .. ( confine our effoxts tbtha acquisition, of I the * gasworks; rather than di&sipate'our energies on (other enterprises which might,' or 'might'not, prove advantageous to.tho city."; •""

±::\:./ ; THE JM^ HIS 1 POLICY FOR THE: COMING YEAR. ./.:'.".'..:-":. v-' •",-.-:. —■ '—r -' t:'£'']: ; r J ~:I i-I '(''-,