Citizens Say –

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 335, 21 April 1928, Page 8

Citizens Say -

(To the Sditor.)

NEWMARKET TRAFFIC Sir, — , • If “Ratepayer” and ‘ Another Ratepayer” are really as interested in the traffic proposals for Newmarket as appears from their letters in your columns, I would advise them to peruse the minutes of the council from May to date, and to attend the meetings of the council. They will then have the facts from hoth sides, and, incidentally, he the better able to judge who are “the level-headed business men of the council.” G. E. SMERDON, Councillor. MORE ELBOW ROOM Sir,— Now that we are to hstve a real Transport Commission in Auckland, perhaps someone will say something about the appalling congestion in Queen Street. Even if the subject does not come within the scope of the commission a little discussion on a principal thoroughfare which is blocked by useless cars standing on the street may not be amiss. What with two rows of tramcars, a constant stream of motor-cars, stationary cars and lumbering horse vehicles, the poor pedestrian, who is usually working instead of talking scandal or drinking tea, has the worst of the argument. SPRING-HEELED JACK. REVOLT AGAINST A BISHOP Sir, — Right-thinking Christians must read with abhorrence the action of the parishioners of Claudelands in publicly revolting against their Bishop in his absence, and while the General Synod was in session. To the general public nothing has been alleged that would justify such extreme action. All that has been divulged is that he dispensed with the services of several priests whom he considered insubordinate. Dean Barnett.’s toleration of trie action of his parishioners at Claudelands would impress one that it was not beyond the region of possibility that the Dean would give justification for his dismissal by the Bishop. The enthusiasm shown at the meeting indicates that Christian charity was deplorably lacking. In the interests of the Church, matters of such a nature should be discussed in camera. R. D. DUX FIELD. NOT TO BE CONVERTED Sir,— My attention has just been drawn to an article entitled “Converting Cr. Murray,”. appearing in your issue of April 17, wherein Cr. Bennett made a statement at the Advertising Club that there was a mission afoot to convert me. As this article may be misinterpreted as to my present attitude and intentions, I take this opportunity of stating that the possibility of mv conversion to Cr. Bennett’s ways o'f thinking is very remote. Consolidation and confirmation of material evidence in my possession, and the dailv expression of cordial good wishes of

ratepayers- encourage me steadfastly to press the council’s unanimous request for a commission (Cr. Bennett silently approving). Commission or no commission, I shall place the facts recorded in the multitude of written statements now in my possession before the ratepayers. I now publicly challenge Cr. Bennett to meet me on the public platform to discuss civic administration, and particularly the matters I have already disclosed, and I further challenge him to test by popular vote at that meeting or at a poll the question as to which of us is “off side” regarding civic wastefulness, extravagance, over expenditure, during his own term of office. \V. H. MURRAY. SUBURBAN TRANSPORT

Sir. — At the latest meeting of the Mount I Eden Borough Council the Mayor was j reported to have stated that, since j transport had been under the jurisdic- J tion of the City Council, the progress j and development of the borough had j almost remained stationary, more particularly in the outer areas, while the city and Newmarket had forged ahead at the expense of suburban bodies. An analysis of the position reveals ! the fact that the increased valuation j in Newmarket is in no way connected ! with the transport question, but is j solely due tq§ property owners erecting more up-to-date buildings to re- j place those built more than half a cen- ' tury ago. Let the ratepayers for a ■ moment consider the Mayor’s scheme, which would be an admirable one j from a city point of view, as it would I transfer trade from Broadway and j land it into Queen Street in record ! time, by creating a speedway past the- i public school, manual training school j and kindergarten, and Grammar School ' route, and leave a valuable area at \ the back of Broadway and in Carlton Gore Road to be developed by our great-great-grandchildren. Then iet the ratepayers consider the scheme recommended by the engineer and adopted by the majority of the council, men who have proved themselves to be successful business men with large interests in the district. It requires only ordinary vision to forecast a development which would be the envy of surrounding districts, and of which every ratepayer would be proud. The Mayor, in circulating _*-“® report that the cost would be prombitive, is either drawing a herring across the scent or is ignorant of the area and lacks financial ability. Had he displayed the same energy in studying traffic affairs and development problems, as he did in laying out Outhwaite’s Park, which is costing ratepayers over £6 a week in interest and is of little use even to the general public, he would have rot only earned the gratitude of ratepayer 8 and won the confidence of the council, but Newmarket would in a tew years be what public men have prophesied it /would be, “One of the leading shopping centres in the Dominion. BROADWAY RATEPAYER.