POSTS IN OUR STREETS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2191, 2 July 1914, Page 8

POSTS IN OUR STREETS

A PROTEST

THE EXAMPLE OF SYDNEY, WELLINGTON TO FOLLOW

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"This is one of the worst tunts I have seen aiiywher&.faf stwat posts," said a much-travelled visitor to AVekiinkton the other day, "1 don't, know whether there arc other places as kid m tins respect. of whether the fact is emphasised by ;the .narrow strews, but that is the iniprossioji I hare gained." And who mil say that tho \ isitor is-not right ; 1 AVe have gigantic posts for our tolepltouo Hues, tiis ones t°. carry tlie electric light- mid wires, and big iron pys-ts to suspend tlO tramway wires on, In addition to those the popular styles of shop vfrratidah is tho one. supported by iron or wooden posts, which are set in this ground -on a line \vit!i tho sidesvaik kerb. This is the idea of a,' h.uii&dyears ago—and wo fiirts crt:oserva.tivi>. At Homo -much use is made tiS. thfi buildings to carry tho telephone' and: telegraph wires within city Limits, and most city authorities decline to allow anyone to erect a perjnaireiit vefaflda-b of any kind whatsoever, honco the- Venetian -shades that are usee! in London, Manchester,. Glasgow, aiui other largo cities to protect the goods displayed from being soiled fe.v tho stirshi.no. Such is the antipathy to street posts. How different is the eas<j- in New Zealand! Not so Jong ago a theatre proprietor in a city not 8® miles frotn Ccurtenay Placo desired to erect a cantilever verandah to a neiv theatre, kit to his immense astonishment the en-' giiieer insisted on a verandah with posts. When asked why lie objected' to tho postless verandah, ho said that tlio posts were a protection fco the pub* lie against bolting horses;, UumMotmded; at such a wiso and wonderful thought, the man of theatres wont awn.y and built a cheap post-supported verandah, determined that no people issuing from, his theatre should tip injured by wild horses,' untamed alitomobilos, at motor-cycles. Sydney's Example, Sydiioy has decided thai iro reran- ' dabs supported by posts projecting over the common land shall tvs permitte/l ■ to. ho erected, and. here and 1 there in' George ami Pitt Streets there aro already long, stretches of ver* andahod sidewalk uiisearrcd by posts, this means that the crowds o&i.i tjtqvo more easily, that , the light is improved as far as the shotv iriijdov,'S ara c-oiv' corned, that vehicles <>f ajl kip-ds can : get closer to tho kerb, and %it faciU-1 ties in support of tlio tired loafer aro : Jess. _ Where .there at® posts, yoti witit invariably find loafers-'ieaiters-; They ' lean on posts.. Tile association between . loafers and street .posts- Is a subject' which would have proved a- v uifnil topic to' stjch a writ-er as Charles- tti-ifa-s,! who, by tho force of his genius, i.mgiit have extracted a wealth of "effpy"'by personal. interviews, with papular' ].ea;n*' uig-posts, particularly these wooded: forthe tired and tin steady, without his delightful old inns. Span-wire Suspensions, Not only has Sydney decided .for post* : less verandahs, but where*cf possible ■ she is doing away with the necessity for posts to carry the trapiway -span- ■ .wires, and this is where Wellington : should accept another lesson. Instead of. erecting; lines of, hu'.ga irciu poles at an immense cost, an is. 'wade--by the Government to allow the siwl's of ' the span wires to bo.affixed to the build- ■' irigs. The weight of' wire -each span* wire carries is not eoftsidefabta. o-.ml to attach a ring-bolt _ briek or stono : Buildings on each sido of the steet appears to he the reasonable aftd practical way of doing the ifitn

, Hero in Wellington fl'o have-. recrnHy taken awav tho centre' poles which carried the wires in Lower (Mia Street, but tliey arc bring. replaced with sitlo poles in nlacee where there are substantial brick buildings opposite em another in the thoroughfare, This need liot be. There is no ■Meffasi'ty for pole? to carry sixin wires in Manners. Willis,) or Cuba' Street, save born ami there, Then as the places where the# does not happen to be substantial tai'Mijigs opposite 0110 another are built upon, the poles could be once taken away, and the' wires s.uSpMrfl'efl' from the new struct!!,ires, This is being done in Pitt, George, and King Streets in Sydney, tfttd as Wellington's streets are even more narrow tlian those mentioned, tho necessity .far doing awnv with every possible 'obstruction jivus-A become more urgent as tils city grows. Pestlcss Verandahs Coming. Whilst the utilisation of buildings for the suspension of spa.tt wires has not yet been considered ..iit. Wpflfoig'tnn, tho postless verandah is coming. The. City Council moved in the matter 50111® time ago, and saw that the pes* less verandah was good. So' a In-law (not yet finally approved) has be?'ft drawn Up by the City Solicitor at t'i,> isebesi »l tho By-laws Committee. 'Hie draft of the new by-law is as follows:— "1. Sub-clause 3 of Clafls.e 281 tif by-. layv No. 1 is hereby fopgal'ed.. a.nd in lieu thereof it is hereby erected as follows:—' "3. (St) No verandah shall be erected in any street, or private- street id tbft No. 1 Building District (the brick area) unless such verandah is suspended frgro tho building to which it is iittarijed and is constructed without supporting columns. "(b) No verandah silt-all be- constructed in -any pjirt of the City «o.t eo«ipfis.i»d in-tho No. 1 Building Bisirict in nft.f street or private.street jess than 60 foci, in width, if a tram, passes along; such street or private street unless such verandah is suspended from the bnildintj to which it is attached and is constructed in' general accordance with a standard 'design illustrated In the City Engineer's office. "11. (a) No existing verandah m tho No. 1 Building' District shall fe repaired unless,the building to whie'h it is attached is, in tho opipioii of lho City Engineer, in a satisfactory' condition. "(b), No existing verandah iu any part oF tho City not comprised in tlio No. 1 Building District shall, if situate in iirl.v street or private street , less than CO feet in . width and 0 tram Ti.tm passes alone: •Riieli street or private stwiHi be repaired unless, the building to which it attached is, in the. opinion of the City Engineer, in a satisfactory condition." This draft by-law will shortly come before the. council for approval in the ordinary way.