KAIKORAI AND ROSLYN.

Evening Star, Issue 4102, 20 April 1876, Page 3

KAIKORAI AND ROSLYN.

To flit Editor.

Sir,-— Of the most progressive suburbs of Dunedin the above come well to the front, laving about trebled their population during the last four years, and this in the face of difficulties which would have kept back, many districts had they not as sturdy pioneers and as many natural advantages as the above. The greatest enemy of these districts has been the main road from the Salutation Hotel to the Toll. Oh, that road! Scores more of houses would have been built in the Kaikorai but for that road. People will build a house for themselves and live in the district, but people won’t live in rented houses there, as it is, in a financial sense, impossible to improve this road to any really useful extent. The next thing is to find a new route, and raise money to make a road. Without in the slightest laying claim to any engineering skill, 1 believe that a most easy gradient could be had by commencing below the Old Shepherd’s Arms, continuing alone Mr Findlay’s ground, and then through Mr Kettle’s or the Rectory to town. There should be a 20ft cutting at the Old Shepherd’s Arms, whilst the road from Maori Hill to Roslyn could be carried the same level as it is now across this cutting by means of a bridge; the cutting would be of small extent, and the earth would make a portion of the new road lower down. I should also make a short branch road, say from near Sheriffs, the butcher’s, to meet the new road just where the cutting commenced, and thus there would be a splendid approach to Roslyn and a remarkably easy gradient to the Kaikorai Half-way Bush, the North Taiori, etc. Whoever I have spoken to on the subject is favorable to the project. Now as to the ways and means, I would suggest the following A public meeting should be called, and a committee formed to raise a public subscription ; L 250 surely should not be difficult to raise. I should trust the Roslyn and Kaikorai Road Board would give LIOO each, and I should look to the City Corporation to come down with LSO, as this road would come right on,to their own ten-acre section on which is the cattle-yard, the lease of which has, I believe, little more than a year to run. This section will then, I should think, be cut up into quarter-acre sections and the building leases sold, as I have no doubt they would fetch Lls per quarter-acre per annum all round. Thus the Corporation would benefit more by this increased accessibility of the district to town than a good many. The Government, of course, would assist us with a pound for pound subsidy, and thus we should have LI,OOO. I may state that I have been sounding several of the inhabitants lately, and find a pretty general desire to be joined to the City, as the silly idea of being taxed for water and gas if we have neither is pretty well exploded, and an idea taken its place that the money raised in the district by the Corporation would be spent there, as in the different wards of the City, and he spent to much greater advantage on account of the superior engineers and other officials a municipality like Dunedin is able to employ. I may state that Mr Findlay has most liberally promised that he wid throw no difficulties m the way of the road passim - ' through his ground, and our representative Mr Bums has kindly given his word to assist us also.—l am, &c,, ■n j* a t Joni<r Mackenzie. Dunedin, April 15,