WANTED, A QUID-PRO-QUO.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1883, 17 October 1913, Page 5

WANTED, A QUID-PRO-QUO.

Sir, —The first legal street on Thorndon Quay was Moss Street, between Davis and Bunny Streets, which wero not then in existence. Both wero shown oh the map as railway land. Moss Street was bequeathed by the Provincial Government to Wellington City Council and was the only legal means of access to tho foreshore. Years passed and rails wero laid, fences put up, but a wicket gate left for tho benefit of foot passengers to and from Waterloo Quay, and this crossing has been in' use somo thirty-five years, and greatly used by the citizens in the vicinity. Now, without word of warning, it is closed, and the people deprived not only of thoir street, but their right of ingress and egress, to Waterloo Quay. Davies Street has now been extended nearly half a mile into tho reclamation and tho old road .which now belongs to the Public Works Department is impassable, beting knee-deep in mud. The next crossing, Bunny Stircet, is a mile away. ' Now, sir, in February, 1909, a pro-, clamation was issued taking this street for railway purposes, and a copy sent to the City Council, who took no notice of it, thus allowing tho citizens to be robbed of their street without a quid-pro-quo, for I maintain that had our member for our district or our. City Fathers asked for an overhead foot-bridge in lieu thereof they would undoubtedly have got it. As it was, they ignored it. There is not the shadow of doubt that eventually a bridge will be required at this point, for the Post and Telegraph, Marino, and Public Works Departments, employing some hundreds of hands, all want it. The large numbers of residents from Wadestown down to Tliorndon Quay, who have used it for over thirty years, and the near approach to the Pipitea Wharves make it an absolute necessity. In the meantime, pending the of the overhead bridge, I thinlt that tho right-of-way should be left open.—l am, etc., OLD RESIDENT.

USE THE TOWN BELT. S^ir,—Seeing that a small section of people have banded together with the idea of preventing the Wellington tenuis players from having courts on tho Pirie Street reserve, and as most of thoso protesting pose as being lovers of somo sport or other, a number of citizens, like myself, have naturally become somewhat auspicious. Why is there any necessity to wait until a plan is comploted of the belt before allowing a sport to be played on tho ground, provided it is a suitable spot for the game, or is it that these .protesting sportsmen have something else Ihey want the ground for? If so,why not tell the citizens? I would rather trust a body that says: "We want it' for lawn tennis," than a section that simply says, '.'Stop all progress until we plan out the belt." it is to be hoped that the objectors will say on Wednesday night at the meeting to be held in the Town Hall what they do want it for, and it is also desirable that tennis people's side be heard also. I, for one, would prefer to see the children playing on a ground that is under the "control of some official body, than allowing them to run wild on what might bo termed a "common." One thing that cannot be overlooked, and that is the tennis clubs give the use of their private courts for the public school championships, in whieli our boys and girls play, and unless something better can be advanced for the Pirie Street ground then I'm in favour of helping the sport of lawn tennis, and would say, make the whole of tho reserve into tennis courts—if tho tennis people can provide the money—for what is better than seeing the youth of the city enjoying itself, especially when one knows the reserve will be Tinder the official management of a recognised sports body. / It may be contended that the, tennis people havt courts at Day's Bay, but unless you aro living across tho harbour you can only find time for games on • them during the week-end. The city players will bo able to use Pirio Street every day, except, of course, Sunday. Tlic courts are to be of grass, and unless you are an across-the-har-bour resident,'then courts in tho city are vastly of more use to you. On Wednesday night my vote goes to the tennis peonle, and citizens, especially those on Mount Victoria, slopes, should attend and vote likewise, if ; thev want advancement upon truo lines. —I am, GtC '' REFORM.' October 13, 1913. [This lotter unfortunately missed publication in time for Wednesday's meeting. The arguments advanced, however, still hold good.]