A CITY IMPROVEMENT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2788, 5 June 1916, Page 9

A CITY IMPROVEMENT

A NOW-OR-NEVER CHANCB,

Some five or six years ago a proposal was made that the ■ City Council should relievo tho traffic strain on Willis Street by providing another arterial way from the vicinity ot the wharves to To Aro by extending Victoria Street through to Manners Street by acquiring that section of land that lies between Victoria Street (opposite tho Free Public Library) anil Old Customhouse Quay, and widening out St. Hill Street (to the width of Victoria Street) on the western side. The proposal was considered v. feasible one, as the western alignment of St. Hill Street corresponds .to that' of Victoria Street. At that time the.section of land that divides tho two streets was in the possession of a firm that did not wish to sell, and so nothing was done in the matter. Now it is being advertised for sale, andon Thursday evening Councillor L. M'Kenzie brought, the fact under the notice of the City Council, proposing that the City Valuer should be asked to report on the value of the land in question, so ns to preserve a right-of-way through, and make possible the extension of Victoria Street through to Manners Street at some time in the future.

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) said there was no objection to Afr. Ames reporting on tho matter, and, presumably, that will bo done.

It is understood that the one argument against the scheme, apart from its cost, is that tho opening up of Victoria Street right through to .Manners Street would have {lie eltoct of throwing moro traffic into the latter narrow thoroughfaro than it could cope with, aiid if the scheme wero carried out it would increase the value of property in St. Hilt Street enormously, which suggests that the whole scheme might be carried oiit oil the betterment principle—the ow.iiors of benefiting properties to pay for the whole or a substantial,proportion of the cost of the scheme.