PROGRESSIVE MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9082, 6 May 1908, Page 6

PROGRESSIVE MASTERTON.

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BOROUGH. MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

' The expansion of Masterton has been so continual and so rapid during the last four or five years that now that a slight relaxation in the building trade is beiHg experienced, superficial observers are inclined to think, no doubt, the town is standing still. To disabuse their minds of this idea, they should take a tour of inspection through the borough, and they will be of a different opinion when they have concluded their jaunt. A Wairarapa Age reporter, after a comprehensive survey of various localities, found Masterton a busier place than most people imaigne it to be. Naturally the municipal expenditure, under the £25,000 street improvement loan, is supplying work for a fair number of men, and a visit to THE CORPORATION YARDS was first made to secure a peep at the methods of the men who are converting many of the town thoroughfares from country lanes into up-to-date kerbed streets. Just now the yard is a busy hive of indutsry, and an interesting place to a short period of inspection. It is there that that fearful and wonderful machine the stone-crusher and grader converts huge boulders into various sizes of metal with a ceaseless "chunk, chunk," which can be heard by the whole neighbourhood for some distance around. This modern road machine has a tremendous capacity for stones, and when in good order its huge jaws masticate the boulders as fast as three men can shovel them in. The noise made by it is weird and penetrating, and the large staff of men working on and about it have dust-covered eyelashes and hair, and as they work away mechanically amid the din a suggestion of uncannines3 enters one's mind. In the shed are many piles of asphalt, atones, and "blinding" dust, which is being rapidly used in the asphalting of Queen Street and various footpaths; J THE CORPORATION STABLES have now been commenced, and good progress is being made with them. They will comprise ten stalls and two compartments for general carting purposes. So far no arrangements l have been made for the housing of the carts and machinery of the borough, but it is proposed to build a shed at the rear of the stables for this purpose. The Corporation yard is certainly one very busy spot in the borough. IN BENTLEY STREET. A residential thoioughfare lying in an important position, very large improvements are now being carried out under the loan schedule. The whole length of the western side from Lincoln Road to the river paddock has a well-graded and well kerbed footpath,, the kerbing being of concrete. The putting into repair of this street has been a long*delayed work, and the residents are apparently so satisfied with the consummation of the work, that several of them have gone in for improvements to their residences, tho visit of the painter being apparent in various places. The street is still twelve feet less than a chain in width, but one side has yet to have its footpath laid down.

NEAR THE RAILWAY STATION progress has not been extraordinarily rapid—at least not so rapid as most people anticipated, yet no doubt many people will be surprised to know that since the Lenz Estate was cut up and roaded (the "Newton" of Masterton it was then termed) no fewer than seventeen residences, a large livery stable, and 1 * a large boarding-house have been erected on it. Other buildings are in coatemplation, and the finiphing touches have still to be added to the stable and other structures.

I THE CUTTING UP OP WRIG- | LEY'S ESTATE . is a matter of considerable importance to ' the town, and here the reporter found a large number of men, under the guidance of Mr J. Carmody, the contractor, working over the ankles on ploughed up soil which lies where the road through the estate is to run. This road branches off Villa street at a point a few chains from Pine street, and runs parallel with the latter street until a point in line with 1 the junction of Pine and Perry streets is readied. Here the road turns both to right and left, joining with Pine and Perry streets on one hand, and having a blind terminal on the other, which makes for Cole street. The work of subdivision has been favoured by fine weather, and it was very fortunate indeed for the man engaged in the laying of the pewer pipes that the summer was one of unprecedented dryness, as the subsoil in this locality is usually impregnated with water at a depth of four feet, and the sewers are quite this deep in the roads. The pipes have all been set in concrete to prevent infiltration, and the sinking of the ground beneath, which might cause a fracture. Then new streets must in time be important residential thoroughfares, as they lie convenient to both the town and the station while being away from the din of arterial, road traffic. The linking-up of Cole street with the blind end of the new cross street must follow very soon. The Council will require to purchase an intervening section, and when this is done, and the road put through a loop-line which will be the popular channel from Cole street to the station will be opened. I In various other parts of the borI ough subdivision is bei. <* followed by [extensive building oper«.nons. Evi- | dently the future of Masterton is i an assured thing in the minds of many people. the opening up of Pownall street extension and its tributary thoroughfares and particularly the connecting of Pownall and Villa streets, heralded an era of rapid expansion in this dry and sunny section of the town. Residences are still going up, and the beautiful villas which flank Essex, Cole and Pownall streets in the recently opened portions would be a credit to towns of much greater pretensions than Masterton. The road of the Yates' estate is already having its result in the erection of modern residences, and one about to

be commenced will cost £I,OOO. There are numerous improvements of importance being carried out both by the municipality and pri vate persons. With the close of the coming winter a fresh era of progress is not at all improbable, especially if the present rural prospects are realised. However, the momentary slackness in the building trade does not mean that Masterton has halted in its march of progress, and those sceptical of this may be easily convinced by making a tour round the borough.