TRAMS FOR NORTHLAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 274, 15 August 1919, Page 6

TRAMS FOR NORTHLAND

. PURCHASING OF LAND CITY COUNCIL SPENDS OYER £10,000 To those doubters who profess to believe that the City Cuncil is not in earuost iu its intention to build houses lo relieve the congestion in tho city, it will be news to learn that tho council has expended over ,£IO,OOO in tho purchase of laud at Northland, which will provide space for quite a colony of new residences. The main purchase was tho acquisition of u block of 125 acres in Northland—on the western side of the range—the western boundary of which is the main road between the Karori Road and Wadestown, a block of undulating country which trends down towards ilia Wilton Estate, and which will in the future provide splendid building sites, with a pleasant outlook over hill and dnle. For this land, which belonged to Mr, Henry Good, of Wanganui, tlia council paid .£75 per acre, which- is considered to be a very good bargain for tho city. Tramway for Northland. Northland residents may rest assured that the time'is not very far distant when that suburb will be'connected up with the municipal electric tramway svs. tern. To that end a block of twelve acres of land, near Mr. Upham's residence, has been acquired at the southern end of Northland. The object of acquiring this land primarily was to secu.ro a defined tram route, which will rise in a steady gradation- from a point near tho Presbyterian Church at Ivelbum, ascend the hill, puss over the top of (he Karori tunnel, and eo proceed, along the crest of the hill to a point near the Methodist Church in Northland, At the same time the council had regard to the development of the 'block purchased, so that the increment in value that- must accrue from the establishment of the tramway line would bo retained by the city. "It is hoped," said the. Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), "that in two months' timo this block will he completely roaded, so providing an area for tho development of the City Council's housing scheme." Ultimately it is intended that this projected tramline shall 'be continued on to the big block just acquired on the other side of the hill, and later be linked up with the Wadestown line, via tho main road. The acquisition of the 12acre block mentioned was decided upon as it made possible a train route on an easy grade and avoided any dips.