EFFECTS OF BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 766, 12 September 1929, Page 6

EFFECTS OF BRIDGE

DEVONPORT DISCUSSES HARBOUR SPAN BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETS I>a»t evening the Devonport Borough Council adopted a recommendation Irom the council-in-committee that the Government should be asked to make the order of reference as wide as possible for the proposed commission regarcling the Harbour Bridge. The order sh-.uld include inquiries into: <1» Is it necessary to duplicate the present means of transit? (2) If so, j o\v should it be duplicated? (3) Effect of bridge construction on Devonport. The town clerk and engineer were instructed to compile information on tho value of property and population in the borough; the number of motor vehicles and passengers carried daily by transit servic- s: distances by road t » proposed bridge heads in Shoal Bay or Northcote; probable bus fares to the city from l>evonport and comparison with existing ferry and bus « barges; probable rate and tolls that would be levied against Devonport; < ffect on growth of population and on property values. It was mentioned that if the bridge eventuated and the ferries were eliminated the effect on property values would be serious. “ABOUT THE LIMIT” “The Borough Council has been well fciung on the Stanley Bay ferry boats over this account and some of the criticism is about the limit,” remarked Mr. C. M. Browne, when reporting on the action of some members of the Stanley Bay Improvement Association in showing hostility to a resume of Borough Council activity in spending money on Stanley Park. Some of the money was found by the association. !Mr. Browne said that everyone on public bodies had to put up with criticism, but he would not tolerate the assertion that the “borough was ‘rooking’ the association”; nor would he stand for the maligning of borough officials. The accounts showed that moneys, raised by subscriptions and subsidies, amounted to £3,036 and that £3,070 had b€.eri spent. The association found £ 900. One bone of contention was that work on the croquet lawns had cost £l2B in excess of receipts, but the « roquet Club was ready to meet the claim and pay interest on the money owing. The other trouble was that work on the cricket pitch has run to £ 67, whereas the association agreed to find only £4O. Extra work was carried out. Despite opposition, the president of the Improvement Association had authorised the payment of the additional charge. DEFENCE PROBLEM In his Mayoral report, Mr. E. Aldridge recounted his recent interview with the Cabinet and members of Parliament regarding the defence problem. Nothing would be done to meet the demands made by the borough until the arrival of Commodore Geoffrey Blake, the new naval division commander. The demands included compensation for loss of rates due to use of otherwise rateable lands for defence purpose; the formation of the road leading to the dock, and the removal of the ammunition dumps. Mr. Aldridge was thanked for his strenuous efforts in the matter. Jle also made reference to the* winning by the No. 2 Bus licensing Authority of an appeal regarding the legal position of buses running to race meetings. It was mentioned that the Transport Board was bearing a large part of the court expenses. A request from the A.A.A. for delegates to a meeting to discuss the Government scheme to refuse a grant to the Highways Board, met some opposition, Devonport being one of the local bodies that does not share in subsidies fi'om the Highways Board. Messrs. Hislop, Browne and Eyre were deputed to act in a watching capacity. Cr. Browne hoped that the Government scheme would not reduce the money av-ailablo for relieving unemployment, * the biggest problem we have.” Fear that acquiescing in a plan of tl e Institute of Agriculture to nominate honorary inspectors for Rangitoto under the Scenery Preservation Board provisions would place the council in a position of being dictated to regarding Rangitoto, led to the framing of a temporising reply. Mr. Aldridge said the inspectors would come up complaining about the presence of gorse or other weeds on the Island, but that did not help to eradicate them. A letter from the A.A.A. urging the use of white lines on streets for directing traffic met with a laugh, Devonport having adopted the practice months ago. ON PAR WITH CITY

“The solid evidence of the sharemarket is a better criticism of the way the borough affairs are administered than that of some of our detractors who do not know half as much as they think they do,” remarked Mr. Aid -idge, in reporting that Devonport 6 per cent, securities maturing in 1936 were now selling at £lO3 2s 6d, as against £lOl two years ago. The new price is on a parity with Auckland city’s similar securities, and better than that of other local bodies about the city.