KARORI ROADS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5285, 4 March 1878, Page 3

KARORI ROADS.

TO THE EDITOR' OF THE 'NEW ZEALAND TIMES.' Sir,—Thu. public ,li»va hewd.a good deal lately about the proposed new road to Karori via P.dohill’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 Coir ty are booked for a like aura. ' 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 Kaiw.irra stream is approached. Hu suc ‘ ceded in this so well that it was found a level line could be take., by crossing higher up the stream, aud thus the only bad part of the road from town done away with at a cost of about £IOOO. However, this did not fall m 'with the views of gome half-dozen residents, Who hold property between Upper Willis-strest and Karori. They had a pet idea of their own, that the money would be much better spent by bpeniuo up an additional road to their properties” via Pollhiil 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 on 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 ;ro md aud seen the plans put it down at £3OOO. It is a wellknown fact that a large majority _of the . Karori people are o| posed to this road ;being made, if by so doing the present I road is to remain in is 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 -sho’ter th-u 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 ctwill have two miles and a half of a costly road leas 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, X think that the best that can be done for all concerned D to let well alone, and go in for making -the 1 present road a good one, making one road do ■ for the whole district.—l am, . i. : , ', Vox Populi. : j Karori, March 1. ' ;