TWO TUNNEL SCHEMES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1987, 18 February 1914, Page 8

TWO TUNNEL SCHEMES

FOR,MOUNT VICTORIA-

RIVAL ROUTES DISCUSSED

CITY ENGINEER'S VIEW.

Yesterday afternoon a deputation from the fiataitai Ratepayers' Association, consisting of Messrs. Leigh Hunt. J. L. Arcus, and C. H. Seville, waited on tho Finance Committee of the City Council to urgo its views respiting tho vcmto of tho now tunnel through Mount Victoria, a work proposed to be ineluded in tho schedule of the new City improvements loan. Two. schemes. ' Mr. Leigh Hunt said that in relation to tho tunnel scheme, lie. thought it might bo assumed that tho public recognised, that something would have to be done soon in tho way, of providing direct traffic access to Kilbirnio through tho hill. It was not a lusurv, but rather a, bare necessity. Tho "money market was favourable, and it might pay bettor to do it how than two or threo years henco on account of tho possible- increase in tho tato of interest;--. n.nd if tho city know that- the scheme thev were going in for was a good one they would support it. As-a parallel case "to this, m quoted the enterprise of Auckland' in building tho Grafton Road bridge.- Be-1 fore its erection there was just a suspension bridge for foot- traffic, an'd all other traffic had to'go. round by way of the Ehjbor Pass, which was net nearly, so far round &e Constable Street was to Hataitai people, so they erected the fine- bridge at a cost of £40,000, in ; order to reach tho other side direct,'fitstead of going round in a circle. The ease was parallel, with tlio exception that they, had in Hataitai a hill to get round instead of a giilly. ' . In reference to the two schemes, he considered that the fatal feature in Mr. Morton's scheme was the practical ruin of tho Wellington College grounds, and tho compensation that tho city Would have to pay. .They would, too,'have to faco tjio fierce opposition of tho college authorities, which, was a .very'serious matter. Mr, Morten's scheme also helped to despoil the. area- of what they [hoped would bo one of the best bits o*f I park lands,iii the city (on the Kiibirnio ! side of the Town. Belt), which from a town-planning point of. view was a' bad feature. That-scheme was,-planned to precipitate tho whole of tho traffic iiito Moxham Avenue,.which he did.not think iv-as a. chain wido at present,' a»d' 60 congested -would the traffic- get. as years went on that there vroitld have to he another street-wid/ming' scheme in the futfire. Those were, in his opinion, the three weak points iu tho city engineer's scheme. ' '. '

Expert Opinion Cited. . When Mr, Morton'? scheme came out they (tho asijociatton) had been enterprising enough to invest > considerable sum of. Money-hi pacing ft. Surveyor'to stjrVoy along" tile ridge, to; dl> coyer-, tho most practical 'spot where a tuTfncl'could.go. Here' .Mi-: Leslie ftepolds oMterod. In tiio matter of town planning ho imagined that the views- ef the. citi&m might be of as Rrcat a valufcj if not greater, than thoseof a City Engineer. . Ho might look ahoad, and take- a wider view of jtlie matter, whereas- an • ■■engineer usually took the tecJinieal point .of vie*. Sir. ' Reynolds tiitmgftl that tho ro'iito to'tb-8-tumid shkiia bo from. Sussex Square,.. with Pater-' sail Street, through tho hjll,' aiid e<imi'tiß out bfihipcl tho traniway Wflitinft- : slied at Hataitai. His sehoftie- prayid-' «d for a new road nt the bacK of the prot»rtiM fronting Jtoxham Avenue If that road iv-oro continued .down as far as Charles Street, and then taken across , the area known as the Chinamen's Gardens, th«'re Woiuld bo a level road all tho way to JSI-iramar, whil&t there wero pyades in Moxham Avenue. Sir. Reynolds's- tunnel went Bt-nigM through -the hill. Mr. Mortoii's went dia.Kaiially. Mr. ißo.vftolds's schoiuo served all .the suburbs affeotwl; Sir, Mo-ftpn's did not servo Hafftitst, North Kilbifiiie, or the Patent Slip district. Mr. Leigh -Hmit.siM t-liat Hataitai had/practically paid for tho twiiuel, for they had had to pay the price for tho land, to enable' ' the Hatnjtni Land Compaiiv to pay tlift £10,000 subsidy, and ho tliough't ttioy deserved spceial coiisidcratine at tho hands of the council. Mr. Morton had estimated 'his tunnel to cost- ■ alibut £70,000, to which sum had to be added compensation—probabiv another S2O.OQQ —a total of about £90.000. •Mγ. Rey-■jioW-s's estiffia-to was £66,920; added to tjlat Would bo cetnponsfttien for prorwrties, £2940, with n deduction of £6000 for motal recovered, the total, ooit worked out to nlimit £63,860, as against £80.000 or £90,000.- - Mf. C.'H Seville handed in a. tvppTjrritten statoniMit, oiulorsing i !ft&ny""of the' points Mr. Hunt had made.

Mr. Morton's terse Points. ,Mr. W. H. Morton said that Mr. Reynolds provided for « tunnel 31 f'hoiiis in length; his was 20,7 chains ill length, e difference of about 13 chains'—so much for the length 0f..,tb.0 tunnel. Mr. Reynolds had planned a 25ft. tunnel.. He (Sir. Morton) proposed a 30ft. tunnel, and had also allotted for. wood-bloekijig tho same, as an absolute necessity. So far from corning out'on to Moxham Avenue, liis exit came out where Moxham AveiiUc> joined oaa Street, at the point the traffic would ho eased by teffig able to go through to Hamilton lload. About roads and town-planning, Mr. Morton said that , tho planning of roads to. traverse park lands was oftci of tlio features of fowft<-l>lanning.. They had net-such a thing hi 'Wellington, but it was tho very _ object to bo desired—to i havo': roads, rritli checffnl BufrouwdJiigs [ and. traversing .park lands. ■ , .tho ii'ay.or said that the . committeewould take tho matter into its fullest consideration, but referring; to jvhat Mr. Ivetgh Hiuit hatrnientiened in his (the Mayor's) newspaper gtatemeut, h<3 said lio Jiad.to have some regard for tho •Fleliiigs of those associated with.him, and was not going to commit himself to any statement in a, patter that ho could not'.hold, to.' He need not mention his attitude toward the tunnel scheme, as he-had advocated it.three years ago, but lie' was inclined to agreo witb the council in pinuing his faith: to .Mr. Morton's scheme in preference- to tliat of. Mr. Reynolds.

I Mr. Morton.', who Iregged to be allowed to speiik agsin, said tiiat there was nothing personal in the nttitudo ■ ho took up, and ho hoped tins people of Hataitai would not imagiife that thero waa. At tho time he said tliat tho piiiiatoth Street sfclietno was tapracticabl(? he wiifi criticised, tout was glad to e<» that tiiov had -eonift round t-o his way of thinking on tbht point. If,, on itmoA acourAto suryoy, another aehemo evolved, he Would be ift favour of. it if it were a hqtfer one. This whole thing' was fcnt-atifi>r')ie was oiit .to, get- tlie sliortest tAmel by tho best rowt*. Tliey h;ad : blam<?<l him ' for o'etidoinrihig the lilizabotli Stroet roUte^—a worlt hi? eoiild iiot aiid would not do. He wns,j;lad tliey had thetrgjit better on ttM poiiit. Tlip.nliing tho Mayor And' cbmiiiittee, tho deputation then retired.