PERMANENT FOOTPATHS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 683, 7 June 1929, Page 11

PERMANENT FOOTPATHS

TAKAPUNA COUNCIL’S MOVE COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME “Three-fifths of your ordinary revenue for street maintenance goes in labour for chipping footpaths in the borough. This is a sheer waste of good money, as there is nothing in the way of permanency about it.” Thus said Mr. J. W. Hayden, Deputy - Mayor of Takapuna, when speaking at a public meeting called last evening to discuss the council’s proposal to lay down permanent footpaths as a means of alleviating unemployment in tho district. Mr. Hayden explained that the borough proposed to raise £4,000 by way of loans, to which sum would be added £2,000 from general revenue. This combined total would receive a £ for £ Government subsidy, and extra commitments in the way of scoria and tar, etc., would bring the total expenditure up to approximately £14,500. Mr. .Hayden continued that it was expected to find 40 unemployed men in the borough, but already 77 had registered with the council. A qualification was that applicants must have resided at least 12 months in the borough. The schedule prepared by the engineer provided for exactly 26 miles of permanent footpaths being laid, and the work would be spread in order to assure two winters’ work being available. Work had already commenced in the Belmont area, 11 men having started, and these would be added to in a few days. Mr. A. H. Wilkie gave hearty support to the project. He stated that the footpaths taken over from the county at the inception of the borough had been a millstone round their necks ever since. Something of a permanent nature had to be done, and done quickly. The schedule prepared by the engineer allows for permanent formation of footpaths on both sides of the following streets and roads: Norwood. Beresford, Northumberland (to Fifeshire Street), Hororata (to Fifeshire Street), Hauraki, Ewcn (to William Street), William, Rarere, Rewhiti, Cameron, Park, Sanders, Northboro, Nortlicroft, Bracken, Tennyson, Napier. Hart, Strand. Channel View, Promenade, Brett, Minnehaha. Audrey, Tiri, Muritai. Ocean View, Saltburn, Pierce, Milford, Cecil, Frater, Holiday, Rangitoto, Prospect, Nile, Brook, Killarney, Lomond, Pupuke, Auburn, Huron, and Dominion. A footpath on one side only is provided for the streets and roads as given below: Beach, Balfour, Birkley, King Edward (wharf to Beach Road). Main (Corella Road to Moana Avenue). Jutland. Clifton. Brown, Beacholm. Burns (Northcroft Street to Byron Avenue), Harley, Purchas, Stone. Norman. Gibbons, Earnoch. O’Neill’s. Craig. Argyle, Waterloo, Stanley. Wolsley, Fenwick, Alma, Corunna, Quebec, The Terrace, Kowhai, Northcote, Karaka, Roberts, David, and Opua. The meeting unanimously endorsed the proposals as laid before it, several speakers congratulating the council on at last making an attempt to remedy the disgraceful conditions.