KENT TERRACE CONTROVERSY

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1926, Page 10

KENT TERRACE CONTROVERSY

GETTING AT THE FACTS EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION UTILITY OK BEAUTY? Considerable interest was taken in the Commission appointed by the Government tq ascertain the facts in order that it might be able to decide whether the proclamation asked for by the City Council permitting it to proceed with certain street widening work in the Canal Reserve should be granted or not. The Commission, which consisted of Mr. E. Page, S.M., opened proceedings at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when the City Council’s case was presented. It will remembered that an injunction restraining the City Council from proceeding with the work was obtained recently by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt and others’.

Mr. J, O’Shea, city solicitor, with Sira,' Mr, J. Lockie, assistant city solicitor, appeared tn support of the proclamation, while Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, with Messrs. E. C. Jack and W. Jack, appeared for t)ie objectors. History of the Town Belt. Mr. O’Shea, in opening, said that the original area of the Town Belt was 1514 acres, bitt of this 476 acres were taken out before the City Council obtained the land. Slices were taken out for the Orphanage Reserve, Wesleyan Reserve, Hospital Reserve round about Clifton Terrace, apd the Jewish Synagogue, The Oroitgi-Kaupapa slopes and other pieces were taken for native reserves. The Wellington College grounds, the present Governor’s residence site, the hospital grounds, and the signal station were taken out of the Town Belt. The only portions of the belt that nad beep taken for public purposes since the City Council obtained it were Victoria College site, the car-shed site at Newtown, the fire brigade site, and certain necessary . streets which bad to be taken to give access to the outlying districts, such as Wadestown Road, New Brooklyn ■ Road, extension of Constable Street, Hutcneson Road, new road extension Britomart Street, Palliser Road, Salamanca Road, extension of Hay Street, extension of Grass Street, and other tnipor tracts. The area appropriated, apart from roads, was just under 11 acres, while the City Council bad acquired for parks an area of over 1000 acres. If anyone was childish enough to suggest that Victoria College Site should not have been put upon the Town Belt, he would not argue with him. The selection of the Newtown car-shed site and the fire brigade site was beljeved at the time to be absolute necessities The original area of the Town Belt was 1544 a. Or. 36p., the area in Crown grant was 1231 a. 2r. 18p., area taken out by the Government 166 a. Or 31p the area vested in the Wellington City Council 1068 a., and the area taken for other purposes 10a. 3r. What This Council Has Done. The objectors, Mr. O’Shea proceeded, were making a great fuss about the destruction of a few cabbage-trees. “Jo proclaim that these frees arc . valuable, and that their loss to the city would be irreparable,” he said, “is cant. The City Council has preserved the whole of the bush at Wainui. It has planted a large ar<?a at the Karori reservoir; it has conserved ■ the Botanical Gardens; it has planted the Tipakori Hill slopes; it has made plantations on the Town Belt behind Kilbirnie; it' lias planted the slopes of. Mount Victoria at Pirie Street and below Palliser Road, and at Oriental Bay. It has also planted the unusable portions Ht Kelburn Park, section 48 adjoining the Gaol Reserve, and in Central Park bus created one of the finest wooded areas in New Zealand. It has also planted the Queen’s Park near Wadestown.” The Main Question. The main question, proceeded the citysolicitor, was whether the curtailment of the Canal Reserve was necessary in the interests of traffic. Kent Terrace and Cambridge Terrace, he submitted, were to-dav the only available accesses to the southern and eastern portions of the city, apart from the Queen’s Drive. It had to be remembered that the Queen's Drive would not always be level with the seashore, but that it would have to be constructed on a grade of 1 in 15 behind the present slip when it became necessary to construct a dock there. In the near future it would be necessary to construct further and better accesses south of Vivian Street to portions of the city. The first portion to be carried out was the tunnel. The onlyother available routes were through the hospital grounds or through the grounds of the Governor’s residence. The Harbour Board had the right to dose the existing road where it f assed through the slip propertv if at any time the Patent Slip Company or the board constructed a road 66ft. wide with a gradient not exceeding 1 in 15 on the bill behind the present slip. Problems of Increasing Traffic. Proceeding, Mr. O’Shea declared that, owing to the increase in traffic, it was imperative to widen Cambridge Terrace and Kent Terrace. He put in police reports which all tended to show that tpe widening of these terraces would lessen the risks of accidents in the locality. Mr. Hunt asked if these police officers would be called? Mr. O’Shea said that he had not intended to call them, but they could be called if necessary. Charles Edward Bennett, assistant Under-Secretarv of the Public Works Department, said that the- Wellington City Council’s application for a proclamation to proceed with improvements at Kent and Cambridge Terraces hail been referred to the district engineer of the Public Works Department and to the Lands Department Replies had been received from the district engineer and Commissioner of Crown Lands to the effect that they saw no reason why the council should not proceed with their scheme of improvements In replv to Mr. Hunt, the witness said that the Public Works Department did not take the traffic aspect into consideration. He was not competent to speak on the traffic aspect Sub-Inspector P Harvev, of the Wellington Police Force handed in reports bv police officers, which agreed that the widening of Kent and Cambridge Terraces was necessary in the interests of traffic The lists showed that two fatal accidents and 17 minor accidents had occurred there since January 1 of the present year. In reply to Mr. Hunt, Sub-Inspector Harvev said that he agreed that all streets should be made as wide as possible in the interests of public safety. Mr. Hunt explained that lie hud put in a request to the Commissioner of Police, asking to be supplied with

returns of accidents in other streets during the same period, but had received a reply that the Department was not prepared to supply the information He intended to ask the Commissioner to request that this information should be supplied. Mr. Hunt produced a plan showing the City Council’s traffic scheme in the Canal Reserve, and asked the witness if he considered that the new proposal would be a safeguard to handle traffic than that employed at present? Sub-Inspector Harvey: It will , give more room for traffic. Mr. Hunt: Yes; but will it be safer? Sub-Inspector Harvey: The only danger will be at the waiting-shed. The ideal solution is to have one-wav traffic. Mr. O’Shea .said that nothing the City Council proposed to do would conflict with future town-planning. The objections were based on a wrong assumption. Motorists’ Views. Councillor F. W. Manton of the Wellington City Council, and chairman of tlie .Wellington Automobile Association, said that his association approved of the City Council’s proposals in regard to Kent and Cambridge Terraces. Mr- Hunt pointed out that the Automobile Association at its annual meeting passed a resolution that some of the shrubs at the south end of Kent Terrace should be trimmed, while theexecutive a few days afterwards decided to support the City Council scheme to have the whole of the trees removed.

In reply to Mr. Hunt, the witness said he considered the City Council’s proposals would be a great improvement on the present scheme Mr Hunt:- Do von not think it would be wise to wait until the TownPlanning Act comes into force on January 1?—No; I would go on with the work to-morrow The traffic problem is acute in Wellington, and this work has been too long delayed. Do you believe in having growing frees in public streets ?—lt all depends on the lav-out of the streets. I like frees in the bush Cabbage-trees are not suitable for street-planting. They shed their leaves, and are dirty. No trees are suitable for planting in the streets of Wellington. Mt. Hunt: Since you have been a member of the Citv Council have you never heard that the council intended to make a main arterial highway of Taranaki Street in order to relieve Kent and Cambridge Terraces ? Mr. Manton: Traffic is just as congested in Taranaki Street as in Kent end Cambridge Terraces, and it will be necessary to widen that street. Mr Hunt read a report by the late Mr. Morton, one time city engineer, advising the City Council to take into consideration the advisability of forming main avenues of communication from the centres of the city to the various suburbs. “That is good townplanning,” said Mr. Hunt, “and in view of this advice, would it not be as well to wait until the Town-Planning Act comes into force?” Mr. Manton: No; I would go ahead with the work straight away. In Best Interests of City. James John Clark, builder, of Kilbirnie, said that there was grave danger in the present position of Kent Terrace and he considered that the improvements proposed by the City Council w-ere in the best interests of the city. It is essential that drivers should have a clear view of the whole of Kent Terrace. Acting>City Engineer’s Views. Kenneth Ewart Luke, acting-city engineer, said he had had experience of streets in Great Britain. Hong-Kong. Australia, and New Zealand. He had known the Kent Terrace and Cambridge Terrace localities all bis life, and was of opinion that both streets should be widened. He was also of opinion that the cross streets were necessary for the purpose of making it reasonable for the council to require one-way traffic. He considered cabbage trees for street works were obnoxious, as the falling leaves impeded traffic and blocked drains. Kent Terrace was at present the only available outlet for the city southwards for heavy traffic. The objections to Taranaki Street and Tory Street were the grades. The difficulty in Kent Terrace would he accentuated as time went on. Even if the Kilbirnie tunnel were put through, or an additional road were made between the tunnel and Constable Street, it would not reduce the pressure at Kent Terrace. No street in tile Kent Terrace area should be less than 66ft. wide, and even with this width if was doubtful whether it would be sufficient to meet traffic requirements. A fast line from Island P>ay now went through into Wakefield Street without any trouble to traffic, and a similar fast service would probably be run to all the southern and eastern suburbs. If such a line were run across Courtenay Place, it would have to cross all the' special work. This would be dangerous from the tramcardriving point of view. To bring the line of traffic so close to Courtenay Place would render tram traffic so dangerous that it would be necessary to provide a signal-box and pointsmen. He would advise against traffic down Cambridge Terrace. The only alternative be could suggest. would be to bring the trams down the centre of the reserve from the Basin Reserve to Courtenay Place. The annual net cost of the reserves to the city for the past five years was £86.391. ■ew recreation grounds had been formed ■it an expenditure of 149.594. and new ireas purchased at a cost of £61.847. lr reply to Mr. Hunt, the witness said that, apart from the aesthetic aspect, he attached no value to trees in streets. Grass plots would divide the traffic as well or better. Mr. Hunt: Do you suggest that Paris would be well advised to cut down the i trees in all her boulevardcs, and have bare streets ? I Mr. Luke replied that trees looked very

Cleaning Up Before Christmas.

i : in residential areas, but were a hindrance to traffic in business localities. Mr. Hunt: Roughly speaking, we have in Kent and Cambridge Terraces combined one of the widest traffic areas nt the city. Mr. Luke: Yes.

“Trams Down Centre in Fifty Years.”

Questioned further, Mr. Luke stated he definitely held the view that the trams should go down the centre of the reserve if the tracks had to be shifted at all. “Even with town-plan-ning, I don't think this will come to pass for half a century,” added Mr. Luke “For as the whole of the sewerage and water supply connections for the eastern suburbs run under the centre of the reserve, it would be necessary to replace these before the tram track could' be laid, down the centre—l did not intend to give all this inside information—but it will come.”

Mr. Hunt remarked that 15 per cent, more accidents occurred in Cambridge Terrace than in Kent Terrace. Mr. Luke said that the reason for this was that motorists had more “way on” when coming into the city;

Replying to Mr. Hunt, Mr. Luke said that the portion of the reserve north of Vivian Street could be cleaned up before Christmas. Mr. Hunt: Why did you not go on cleaning that part up ? Mr. O’Shea (interjecting): We would have been attached had we done anything there. The City . Council was not going to take any risks. “Trees of No Botanical Value.” Samuel Hurst-Seager, a member of the Town Planning Institute of Great Britain, was next called. Witness thought that the native trees were not of sufficient beauty, to deniand their preservation. There was not among the whole of the trees a specimen which was of botanical value. That applied also to the cabbage trees, which were not by any means suitable for street decoration. “I have nowhere in any part of the world seen a dense mass of foliage planted in avenues or parkways,” continued witness. “It robs the avenue of the appearance of spaciousness, which it should possess, and divides it into two narrow roadways. I unhesitatingly say that they should be removed, and some suitable trees and shrubs planted in their place.” Witness said lie was firmly convinced that what the council proposed to do would not interfere with the broad town-planning scheme for the future. It would remove the danger, and, therefore, should certainly be carried out.

Dr. G. S. Elliott, a resident of Kent Terrace, said that too many accidents occurred in the vicinity, and it was a wonder to him there were not more. Mr. Hunt: Regardless of expense, human life should be safeguarded? Dr. Elliott: Yes, more even than the cabbage trees! Dr. Elliott asserted that in the half lights the cabbage trees threw a shadow like a man across the road. William Harry Nash, hon. secretary of the Te Aro Advancement Association, said that body was in favour of the council’s scheme being carried out. J. M, Samson, hqn, secretary of the Courtenay Place Area Association, stated that his association was in entire accord with the council’s improvements.

John Hutcheson, ex-M.H.R., excouncillor, and ex-chairman of the Harbour Board, said: “Those melancholy cabbage trees, flapping their broken wings in the wind, might be suited to a swamp in the Manawatu, but they are entirely out of place in the middle of an important city street. Trees out of place are as much weeds as matter out of place is dirt.” The evidence of Mr. George Ardrey, another resident of long standing, was also in favour of the council’s, scheme. The city treasurer (Mr. C. C. Collins) enumerated the annual net cost of the reserves to the city for the past five years. Lewis Smith Drake, chief traffic inspector of the corporation, said tallies showed that the traffic increases in Kent and Cambridge Terraces were as lieavv as anv in the city. He was of tlie opinion that the trees were an absolute death trap, as the shadows made them very confusing. Mr. Drake said he saw no clanger in the proposed scheme, and would raise no objection to it He thought that most motorists would keep to the left, and not use the 15 feet roadway, created bv cutting back the reserve to the right of the tram tracks in Kent Terrace.

The inquiry will be resumed on Monday morning.