WESTOWN WANTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1919, Page 6

WESTOWN WANTS.

DEPUTATION TO BOROUGH COUNCIL,

A deputation consisting of 13 members of the Westown Progressive Association waited on the New Plymouth Borough Council last night to urge the carrying out of certain works considered immediately necessary to meet the requirements of the Westown district of the borough.

TRAMWAY EXTENSION. Mr. J. D. Sole headed the deputation, and dealt with the necessity for the immediate extension of the tramway system. He stressed the rapid rate of development in the district, which demanded increased transit facilities. He suggested that, although the extension was also desired in other directions, the seeds of Westown were the most urgent of all. Appreciation was expressed of the bus service, but it was considered quite inadequate, and, although the council was trying to do its best, it was felt by the association that the trams were absolutely essential, at least, tb Wallace Place. The association was of opinion that in taking powers for extension the council should include the whole of the extensions contemplated and then carry out the works as found practicable. The extension of the tramways would do a good deal towards solving the housing problem. A number of houses were to be built in Westown as soon as material and labor were available. Such an extension of the line would act as a good feeder to the main service, as at present many children used the bus as far as Morley Street in order to catch the car on wet days, and that was only an indication of what would take place if the trams were taken up to the top of Morley Street.The difficulty of supplies was not overlooked, but the policy in some places seemed to point in the direction of extending tram lines in spite of present costs. Mr- Sole predicted thjt Within ten yeara the population of Westown would be doubled. He asked, therefore, that the council should • take the matter into their earnest consideration, as they were of opinion that the time was opportune for the extension of the service to Westown. The Mayor said the last council had expressed itself favorably as to the Westown tramway extension, and, I though the present council had not expressed" its opinion, he had no doubt i that they would view the case in the same light. He pointed out, however, that, with the fall in the price of rails, they were still 100 per cent, above prewar prices. It was all a question of finance, but the council would give the matter its consideration.

STREETS AND FOOTPATHS. Mr- V. Duff dealt with the question of streets and footpaths, which in mSny instances had never been properly formed, and were only clay tracks, which in wet weather were extremely dangerous. He gave a number of specific instances, but said probably the most important works were those required in Cutfield Road and Dartmoor Avenue. He thanked the council on behalf of the association for the splendid work done on Tukapa Road last year. The Mayor pointed out that the council was fully aware of what needed doing, but time and labor were important factors in the consideration. The council had not yet overtaken the work that had got behind during the construction of the tramway tracks, but was doing its best to catch up the leeway. There was a sum of £2500 allocated for footpaths in the recent loan, and, though that would <iot do all that had to be done, the committee would take the deputation's! representations into consideration when determining which patha were to be done. The council waa quite alive to all the needs that had been mentioned, but he could give no promises. The council had money to spend, but a great deal depended on the labor question.

STREET LIGHTING. Mr. W. H. Haddrell dealt with the need for improved street lighting, and asked the council to place a light half-way between Cutfield and Belt Roads, one each at the corner of Price and Tukapa Roads, corner of Dorset and Dartmoor Avenues, corner of Wallace Road, and also to alter the position,of the light at the corner of Dorset Avenue and Belt Road, with a view to the better lighting of Wallace Place in that vicinity. The Mayor, in replying that the matters would receive attention and that the engineer would be asked to report on the requests, stated that one of the lights (that at the corner of Dorset and Dartmoor Avenues) had already been authorised.