UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 691, 17 June 1929, Page 10

UNEMPLOYED RELIEF

ONLY £IB,OOO SECURED BY MAYOR VISIT TO WELLINGTON While in Wellington during the last few days to attend the executive meeting of the Municipal Association the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, who returned this morning, discussed unemployment relief with the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward. BAILDON put a concrete proposal before Sir Joseph in an effort to obtain the subsidy of £25.000 offered by him as a Government £ for £ subsidy. The Mayor proposed that the money be utilised in further construction of the waterfront road from Mission Bay to St. Heliers, but finds Sir Joseph cau only offer £IB.OOO for this work. “I suggested that three sections of this proposed road should be immediately undertaken at a cost of £53,000.” said Mr. Baildon. “The Government, however, will subsidise only on wages, which are estimated to account for £36,000 of this £53,000. That means the City Council- would have to find £35.000. “Sir Joseph said he could not subsidise on materials such as road metal or on the purchase price of land which would have to be acquired. “If we can get only £ IS.OOO for a relief scheme anticipated to cost £53,000, to be able to lift the whole £25.000 it seems a scheme involving somewhere about £75,000 would have to be undertaken.” The Mayor added that a. work of such magnitude appeared out of the question. As it was. the only work on which the unemployed could be placed was the waterfront load. The council had two other schemes in progress—the formation of Waiatarua Park (Lake St. John) and (he completion of the Western Springs Stadium. and no more men could be absorbed there.

“The only thing left now is to report my negotiations with Sir Joseph to the City Council, which will have to consider what action is to be taken,” Mr. Baildon said. The three sections referred to comprise part of a scheme prepared by the late city engineer, Mr. W. E. Bush, for the completion of the waterfront road from Mission Bay to Long Drive, St. Heliers Bay. The project, divided for engineering purposes into six sections, was estimated to cost £93,800. Section No. 2 from Atkin Road to the bottom of Kohimarama Road involves easy formation of 11 chains. No. 3 section begins at the point -west of Kohimarama Wharf and is 20 chains long. This is known as .the Kohima;’ar> Esplanade, and is at present lain down in concrete. The road is narrow and unsuited to heavy bus traffic. Widening, and the formation of adequate retaining walls against the sea would be costly work. Section 6 is a length of 20 chains terminating at Long Drive. If it should be decided by the City Council to proceed with the work on the basis of the Prime Minister’s offer, the completion of the three sections •would provide a heavy traffic road from Auckland to Mission Bay, thence to Kohi Road, where the route would leave the waterfront, thence up Eltham Road to Speight Road; thence to Cowie Road, and so back again to the -waterfront, where'the sixth section begins on the final lap to St. Heliers.