HARBOUR BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1064, 30 August 1930, Page 10

HARBOUR BRIDGE

DEPUTATION RETURNS FROM WELLINGTON 600 FT SPANS SUGGESTED The deputation from the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association to Wellington for the purpose of interviewing various members of Parliament in respect to the proposed bridge across the Waitemata, returned to Auckland this week.

The deputation, which dealt particularly with certain portions of the Royal Commission's report. was well leceived in Wellington. One proposal put forward was that there be two spans of 600 feet each in preference to the on esuggested of 800 feet. This, according to estimates received by the association, would mean much less cost In the building of the bridge. Recommendations of the 'Royal Commission in respect to the specifications of the bridge were not objected to, but this slight alteration, it was held, would make the building of the bridge much more economical. The alteration is also in conformity with various expert opinions given before the sitting of the Royal Commission. Captain Sergeant, Auckland Harbourmaster, said that two spans of 600 feet would be ample, while the captain of the tourist vessel. Malolo. stated that spans of 500 feet would be sufficient. The members of the association are given to understand that the Government and Public Works Department will look into the question of this alteration, and great hopes are held that the recent representations will have had the desired effect. “It would also be of immense importance to the problem ot' unemployment,” said Captain Ashdown, secretary to the association, this morning “About £IIOOO,OOO would be spent in wages and the immediate benefit of that to this portion of the Dominion would be immense.”