STREET WIDENING

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1975, 4 February 1914, Page 8

STREET WIDENING

■■ ■■ ■ *- - STATEMENT B\- THE MAYOB. Makirtg some further observations; yesterday on the subject of street-widen'-iug, the Mayor (Mr, J. t. iuke) said that in ooiuieotion . with the Willis Street widening negotiations wc-ro now being carried oil with the proprietors of tho Didvc of Edinburgh blocfe,. aiid ho was hopeful that tho outcome Avoi.ikl bp that tho council Would at an early data be able to' deal With that .portion. All tho other properties, throughout: Willis Street were in a position to ho. dealt with, .practically immediately in re- : ferenco to setting back, and as soon as aiTangeiiieuts had been made for the Mercer .Street.alteration (deserihed in' yesterday's issue)., tho council would, prosecute- that-work with, dispatch,, as it was very neecssaty to draw as nvuelr fruit traffic as possiblo away from WiMis Street and Manners Street into adjacent: and loss congested thoroughfares. As to Manners Street, tho 'intention is that tho I'olico Station should bo removed, iiiid it is also proposed to clear tho pro' portv on which the old fire hrigado sta-; tion'stands. To what extent tho council will deal' with other -properties tlio Mayor is not prepared to--say at tlio pWsent timfti but the council _is resolved to widen the street to ii width of about sixty feet. This will give practr-cali-y the same width throughout as now obtains at Winder's Corner. : Questioned as to the financial aspect of the street-widening policy, Mr. Jju.ko remarked Hint steps had io bo taken to; carry on tlio ■ negotiations vi'ith strict regard to the rights of the public, ami at the saflib.ttmb to see that individual owners word accorded fan' and equ.itabk treatment. It was.<ljfficV.lt, tic. nddcii, to go into tlio financial aspect of the matter until alt operations had been finally completed, but ■ho now had ' all the figures 'in -connection tho street-widening policy since, its- iucep- : tion, showing tho relative cost incurred' in different streets.. When negotiations had boon completed in reference to Wil- • lis Street and M-orcCr,.Street, and the Mode adjacent to tho Royal Qak Hotel lie would submit the whole of the details to the public Citizens, were to bo congratulated, Mr; Luke continued, upon the way in which tho 'progressive policy of street-widening had boerf administered by successive councils; Each and all of tlienv had shown .fairness and capacityj aiid also a duo regard _ for tli© trno iute,rosts of tho city and its advancement, ■