THROUGH MOUNT VICTORIA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1036, 27 January 1911, Page 6

THROUGH MOUNT VICTORIA.

-j ;— ' NEW ROUTE PROPOSED. ' Councillor Fletcher asked the Mayor at ■ the meeting of the City Council last evening ■'• why tho' report of the "City Engineer upon a new tunnel route to the suburbs : boyond'Monnt Victoria -did"not' appear on the. order paper for discussion that evening.-'.: 1 .'. .~- .: :.'■ Mr. Wilford explained that,.pressure of business had compelled the Finance Committee, which had the report in hand,'. ; to. hold it back for a fortnight. Councillor Fletcher stated that from a 'per'sonnl'inspection'of.'the'locality he was satisfied, that a.route other than "that previously "recommended deserved consideration. An approach, to the, hill by an ■ easy grade'could be made,by leaving the. ' present track at Brougham ■ Street and carrying tho line by way of Queen Street and Eixon Grove to a point fifty or sixty yards distant from the,, present tun.uel entrance.,. . Fro'ni . this 'p'pint, a. tunnel could !,be carrie(l,;,thr6.ugh the. hill on a grade of one in. forty, or one .in'fifty to a place in close proximity "to~tho present exit' The grade, on ...leaving tho exit would b-3 rather " steep, about one in twelve, but this could be got "over by constructing a'slight deviation behind some houses to Waitoa Boad. Councillor Fletcher asked if it'would-be'possible to obtain a report from the engineer upon the route he had proposed. , Tho Mayor said ; thcrcport could not be obtained iur.lcss.i.han.a. month. -

Councillor Shirtcliffo ■ thortght it advisable that the council-should'-first consider tho matter as a policy : proposal before going to the expense of having surveys made.

The Mayor repeated his former, statement that the Finance Committee would report upon the engineer's-proposal at the next meeting of the council. The report desired by Councillor Fletcher could he obtained in about a month.