The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5182, 31 October 1877, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1877.

It is satisfactory to know that something is at last proposed of a definite nature with regard to private streets. At the meeting of the City Council on Thursday the Mayor moved that the City Surveyor, be instructed to report upon the condh tions of all private streets in the city with the view of enabling the Council to arrive at the advisability or otherwise of proclaiming them public streets, thus getting rid of the invidious distinction be-, tween public and private streets. The motion was agreed to without opposition on the part: of any member of the Council. For years this very question of private streets has been the most difficult with which the civic body has had to deal. It is one of the highest importance; at any rate of far more importance than is attached to it by the general body of citizens. It is to be regretted that the subject was not taken up years ago, when, the evil had not assumed such proportions as at present. Some of the private streets may have been necessary, and do hot detract from the appearance of the; city ; neither can it be said that their existence involves any danger to the public health, the houses not being huddled together, ample building ground being afforded. But there are others which are absolutely an eyesore and a disgrace to those who, through sheer cupidity, laid out streets so that the unfortunate residents in them must of necessity be huddled together like rabbits in a warren. We know of no town in the Australasian colonies where such a thing has been carried out to so great an extent as in Wellington, the capital of the colony. Of course the primary mistake was in laying out the town in acre sections, a space out of all proportion, too large for ninety-nine out of every hundred original purchasers; and consequently there was the natural desire to get as much for the land as possible by dividing it into small sub-sections. This in many cases could not be done without running a street through the land, and hence first arose those thoroughfares which are known as private streets. However, the bona fide holders of the land are not the parties who are chiefly responsible for the laying out of these narrow and unsightly thoroughfares. When land became of largely-increasing value in Wellington there arose a class > of speculators without capital or respectability, who by the promise of high prices for sections induced owners to place land in their hands. They in reality stood in a position between purchasers and speculators. Men who did not wish their names in any way connected with the laying-out of private streets placed their lands in the hands of a middleman. Thejspeculator nominally bought the land, generally at a high price, not paying for it at the time of purchase, but trusting to being able to sell it to poor people on deferred payments at an enormously enhanced price. In some cases, miserable tenements were run up and sold to those who, with a laudable desire to possess homes they could call their own, purchased- those houses, ignorant of the flimsiness of their construction. In this connection we might mention that a considerable section of those who have established homes—such as they are—in this city, have arrived within the past few years in the colony. This speaks highly - for their industry and thrift; but nevertheless many of them, in their eagerness to become freeholders, have been made the victims of a class of speculators who must be deprecated in every community. Houses have been built on allotments too small even for the purposes of decency, and, like a /“ Cheap John’s” razors, they were built simply to sell. A fairly-con-structed four-roomed house, at the prevailing rates for material and the price of labor, would cost something over £2OO ; but we have been shown “ shanties ” of four rooms which 1 we are credibly informed did not cost their builders over £BO or £9O. - Had the City Council only to deal with the speculators, the matter would be simple enough,, and the civic body could put its foot down strongly, and'fnsist not only that certain conditions should bo fulfilled before taking over these.private streets, but even if it were not deemed desirable to declare them public streets, that the owners of property should pay : proper regard to appearances and! health. Unfortunately, the parties residing in these narrow and uncomfortable: lanes are not the i only persons who are in danger j from the overcrowding and want of proper! I sanitary arrangements. Residents in the ! neighboring localities; are" in almost equal; jdanger. About .twelve months ago, a citizen, now ’ a :: ’member of the City Council, .lost; three'.children •through one of these foul thoroughfares being in the neighborhood-of .his residence. It seems an anomaly that the Corporation, money should be expended oh these* [Streets, while there are hundreds of resiidents,. we might say thousands, who have 'purchased I 'allotments in streets on the .original plan of the city, erected houses,'

and paid rates for years, aqd never recoived>any thing in return in theishape of improvements. But notwithstanding thiff anomaly we r * fearnt is imperatively necessary that the private streets should be taken over, if only; on the score of public health. The residents in the latter streets also pay rates, and with'an apparent show of reason claim to be treated the same as others But many of them must have known when they purchased their sections and built their houses that they were liable to be called upon to pay for . the formation of the streets. The City Council has generally called upon the owners of property to contribute the cost of these works, the Corporation taking over all further responsibility, and in doing so has treated the property-owners liberally ; certainly better than compelling people living in public streets some ’’distance from the centre of the city to pay rates, and not expending any money in return. Our last remarks are not with the object of throwing cold water on the contemplated idea of the Corporation taking over private streets, but to show their inhabitants that they have not been dealt with so illiberally as they seem to think. It is a preposterous idea for persons to entertain, that if they buy land in a private street and pay rates they are equally entitled to a share of Corporation expenditure with those who purchase in a public street and pay a considerably higher price from the very fact of the land being situated in a street on the plan of the city. The two do not stand on the same footing. However, the City Council must make the most of a bad bargain ; and as wo notice a growing tendency on the part of the Council to fairly, grapple with the matter, we trust tho whole question will soon bo placed on a satisfactory basis.