Boring for Harbour Bridge Postponed

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 11

Boring for Harbour Bridge Postponed

} ASSOCIATION waiting NO AUTHORITY YET j So word has been received in Auckland regarding the preliminary borings in connection with the Auckland harbour bridge scheme, for which it was thought arrangements would have been made at the beginning of the present week. On his return from Wellington more than a week ago, Mr. R. H. Greville, president of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association, said that as the rc3 nlt of an interview- with the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, he expected authority to begin the work would be received in Auckland before ■he end of last week, f Originally it had been intended to tpend £3OO, but in view of the large government grant it had been decided 5o spend £SOO on preliminary borings. T Today, Mr. Greville said that preliminary work would have to commence before the Royal Commission 'sat, when all particulars would be available for consideration. [ “HOSTILE ATTITUDE” HARBOUR BOARD CRITICISED BY MR. GREVILLE 1 If "The Harbour Board has all along Adopted an apathetic, if not a hostile pitUtude toward the harbour bridge fcciieme,” Mr. R. H. Greville told a ?Sun reporter today. “I regard the suggestion of the board that, the personnel of the proposed commission should include not jnly a harbour engineer, but a harbourmaster, as little else than an Ittempt by the board to stack the airds against the association.” he tontinued. “Not long ago it refused to set up l committee to confer with the association in connection with the proposed bridge. Only the weight of public opinion and the activities of iho association have made the board lake any interest at all.” The personnel of Ihe Royal Comuission, as It had been proposed, was idmirable. Containing a pudge of he Supreme Court, a director of own planning, a Gvernment assessor )• wide experience, and possibly Mr. Purkert, engineer to the Marine Department, the Harbour Board would have been well protected. I “Most citizens are as interested in ijhe building of a harbour bridge, aa In harbour development,” Mr. Grefille concluded. “The majority of members of the board should remember they are elected by the suffrage »f the citizens of Auckland and not by ■hipping interests.”