KARORI ROADS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 317, 9 March 1878, Page 16

KARORI ROADS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAID. Sir, — The public have heard a good deal lately about the proposed new road to Karori via Polohill’s Gully, and the Karori-Makara Board has been kind enough to promise some £3OO of the district rates towards the scheme. The City Council of Wellington are asked to take some £SOO out of the city revenue towards the same end, and the Hutt County are booked for a like sum. This is all very well in its way, but what are the facts of the case, and the wishes of the Karori settlers ? Some little time ago the Hutt County engineer, Mr. Fitzherbert, surveyed a deviation of the Karori-road, so as to avoid the steep gradients by which the “ Devil’s Bridge ” over the Kaiwarra stream is approached. He succeded in this so well that it was found a level line could be taken by crossing higher up the stream, and thus the only bad part of the road from town done away with at a cost of about £IOOO. However, this did not fall in with the views of some half-dozen residents, who hold property between Upper Willis-street and Karori. They had a pet idea of their own, that the money would be much better spent by opening up an additional road to their properties via Pollhill Gully, and for that end a deputation was got together, headed by an enterprising auctioneer (who has recently speculated at a low rate in property oh the proposed route) with the above result ; the amount required to do the work being stated at the modest sum of £1800; but good judges who have gone over the ground and seen the plans put it down at £3OOO. It is a wellknown fact that a large majority of the Karori people are opposed to this road being made, if by so doing the present road is to remain in its present state. And I think for very good reasons. Taking a line from the junction in Karori to the Queen’s wharf, the present road is actually shorter thm the new one will be ; and when the deviation at the Devil’s Bridge is made the present road will be a better one than the other in every respect, a saving of £2OOO will be made, and the distr ct will have two miles and a half of a costly road less to keep up, which, if done, will mean a very large increase on the present somewhat heavy rates. Added to this, I do not think that the citizens of Wellington will feel very much inclined to subscribe £SOO towards a scheme that, if carried out, will actually have the effect of spoiling the purity of the new reservoir, as anyone who takes the trouble to go over the ground can see at a glance. Altogether, I think that the best that can be done for all concerned is to let well alone, and go in for making the present road a good one, making one road do for the whole district.—l am, &j., Vox Populi. Karori, March 1.