RICHARDSON STREET TO BE TAR SEALED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 12 January 1931, Page 9

RICHARDSON STREET TO BE TAR SEALED

(To the Editor) Sir, —I was very interested to read in your issue of yesterday’s date, under the heading of “Civic Affairs," that our worthy Mayor is credited with saying, that “as the cost of tar sealing was only £2 per chain more than ordinary metalling” it was decided to tar seal Richardson street.

I now have much pleasure in recommending to our City Councillors that Shelbourne street should be the next street to be tar sealed. My reasons for so doing are as follows: — Shelbourne street is only a short street and barely live minutes walk from the Council Chambers. Visitors to our fair city frequently come “over the top” to get a magnificent view of Nelson’s most fashionable residential area, and at the present time Shelbourne street is in a disgraceful condition. The road is full of pot holes and ruts; the next hard rain will completely wash away the surface and it will them be like a river bed. Starting from Nile street Hast we come to the Education Board’s offices where grass is growing within about a car width of the middle of the street and until about 2 months ago weeds were waist high on the narrow footpath for the full length of the said Board’s frontage. Turning the corner towards Bronti street the street itself is appalling, and a little further up grass is growing on the Council’s property to a height of 5 feet 7 inches, which surely is not wanted as far as the Nelson Fire Brigade is concerned. Tn this vicinity some of the more energetic residents have so improved the Council’s property that a steep bank has been transformed from a rubbish dump into a veritable “bowling green.” Turning into Bronti street towards Collingwood street we see another very badly neglected state of affairs. This portion of Bronti street is nothing more or less than a gravel pit, and here is a triangular patch of grass, very unkempt, right in the centre of the intersection of Shelbourne and Bronti streets, useful no doubt as a “traffic dome” but most unsightly and unbecoming for the city of sunshine and reputed cleanliness. The so-called footpath on the northern side of Bronti street to Collingwood street has been so persistently uprooted by the Council’s employees for various underground reasons that it is in a pitiable state and the holes and ruts are deep enough to throw pedestrians. It is customary for our energetic and efficient traffic inspector to “try out” his pupils for a car driver’s license by bringing them up Bronti street and turning into- Shelbourne street, this test is certainly a severe one, as what with the “quick sand” condition of the streets mentioned and the varying grades, it must give some of the would-be car drivers quite a thrill.

In conclusion, with a view to proving that I am not writing twaddle, I shall be pleased to escort His Worship the Mayor, if lie so desires, and under that condition I will ask you, sir, to please inform the Mayor of my name and address so that he may send for me to view our localikv. I am etc., PRO BONO PUBLICO. Nelson, 10th January.