STRATFORD NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 222, 7 February 1913, Page 3

STRATFORD NEWS.

I {From Our jtit-ideut Reporter). THE ESIDGE CONTROVERSY -o.\lli UiXFLk'TiMi OPINION'S. The public mind is considerably exercised over the proposal to borrow £6OOO or thereabouts to be applied to the deiiN.litmii c.-i ine Victoria bridge over the Patea liver in Broadway and the re(■lulioii in it - place of a bridge to the full width of the street. Broadway, of coin>e, is a chain and a-hulf wide. I?- the expenditure warranted'/ Let others answer the (pie-lion. The Stratford representative of the Daily News lias recently heard many opinions expressed for and against. Jt must be said Unit the arguments of the southerulers are more solid than those against the scheme. Here is what one bridge advocate says. He is the owner of considerable property on the south side of the bridge, and finds that the locality is kept back, is made unpopular, by reason of the fact that the bridge, whilst not really a narrow one, is much narrower than the street on either side of it. The bridge causes an undue break ' in the business block. Some fifteen feet of land held on the north side, and a very considerable section of land on the south side, are valueless for building purposes under the present conditions, for there is no proper frontage to the street, part of the sections fronting merely on the road approaches. There is no reason, it is urged, why a comparatively small stream like the Patea should < cause a gap of several hundred feet in an otherwise continuous line of business pre- I miscs.

This resident bad nothing to say about congestion of traffic on the bridge. Such a thing might occasionally occur, but was not general. As for the effect of affecting the reconstruction and widening of the bridge, he contends that it must prove beneficial. Firstly, on broad lines, he points out that a full-width bridge would make Broadway into a magnificent thoroughfare, of which all Stratford people should be proud, and to effect which all might reasonably be prepared to contribute a little. Stratford at present reminded him of a "sow with one ear," a lop-sided sort of borough. Next —and here bo doubtless locates the ground for some of the opposition to the scheme—the widening of the bridge, and the consequent extension of the business area, would have the effect of lessening the rents of business premises, which are becoming prohibitive. There seemed to him ,to be no reason why there should not be plenty of businesses located south of the bridge. He knew, he said, that were the bridge-reconstruction scheme sanctioned by the ratepayers, substantial premises would immediately be erected north' and south of the river on the west side of Broadway, and on the east side of the street south of the river. This was not gossip: it was'fact. Another prominent townsman would i support the scheme because he was. not j in favor of the alternative Suggested—the expenditure of ,€IOOO or £2OOO, or i more, on improving the present structure. F.ven if it were possible, as the [engineers said, to make it last another 3il years, he contended that long before that time the bridge would be too small to carry the traffic of the Stratford that is to be. He was of opinion that the Patea should be bridged at Brecon road, and at Miranda, Juliet. Orlando and Cordelia streets, either by traffic bridges or footbridges. Among the opponents of the scheme' the only argument adduced was that the wider bridge was not needed, and the expense was unwarranted. To them the idea that business would ever go "over the bridge" was preposterous. The town was extending northwards, just as Fit ham and ?>"ew Plymouth were oxiendir r in that direction, and nothing could alter it. They did not admit that rentals of shops were too high, or that the erection of even a score of good buildings over the bridge would affect the rental values one iota.

One business man jocularly remarked that the southern portion of the borough should cut themselves out of Stratford borough, and run a local body of their own.

This article, whilst not attempting to finally dispose of the problem, or to enter into the question of cost, fairly represents the argument* adduced on either side. Should there be any point which advocates on either side think should be emphasised or enlarged upon, they are invited to air their views in the correspondence column.

Mr. 1). Amdy. Dairy Instructor, is on ii vUit to Stratford. Mr. .1. Lanrenson. cl»vk. and :i! ]>re.-enl acting postmaster, of the Stratford l'osf Oll'iee. llilS received liolil'f of his immediate transcr t<> Wellin'jf.n. !o a ;io-ilion in tlic Chief Postmaster's olViee.'

"Mr. Sidney Ward left Stratford by Ibo mail train yesterday movninu en rout'.' or Au-tralia. Dr. Steven, vim iia- been granted a month's liolidav leave. was a |ias.-emrer by tl:«- mail train from Stratford yesterday, with Dnnadiii as liis principal destination. The l-'itzroy Tennis Club beat St. Andre-.--, at Stratford ye-terdav. by 1-12 to. ;:>. !!1-:rxai.d -- s rrrrrnTX There will b» the usual •■'aborate showing of pictures at this p. -star hon--e of i.nti.rt.'iinment to-nijrht". ] 'mlinjr scenic, dramiti,- ami comic film ';nm the be-t iiii.l-:.-r-.