BEAUTIFICATION SCHEME.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 209, 4 August 1937, Page 8

BEAUTIFICATION SCHEME.

TERRACE END PIT. AVHOLE AREA MAY BE INCLUDED. Following a visit paid by representatives of the Railway Department, yesterday afternoon, to the Terrace End metal pit, which the City Council is seeking to beautify, and where operations are already well under way, a “Standard” reporter was informed that there is every prospect of full -facilities being granted by the department for the unhampered development of the whole of the pit as a park area. Conditional permission only has so far been granted. The inspection was made by Messrs G. Burtenshaw (Chief Engineer for the Railway Department), H. B. Smith (district engineer), and G. Davis (land officer), accompanied by Cr. J. Hodgens, M.P., Cr. G. Tremaine (chairman of the City Council reserves comipittee), Mr J. R. Hughes (city engineer), arid Mr P. Black (curator). Twelve acres in extent, and with a depth varying up to 22ft., the pit, from which it is estimated that 300,000 cubic yards of metal have been taken, has been operated for many years, and provided the ballast for the lines from Palmerston North to Marton and A\ T oodville. AVhen the pit was first opened, the trimmings were used to fill up 7 the old railway pit which used to exist - where the railway social hall and adjacent cottages now stand in Church Street. Metal is still being taken from the Terrace End pit, which is used principally as an emergency reserve for repairs to the main line in the event of wash-outs, etc., the metal being easily accessible at short notice. 7 The departmental officers’ visit was brief, and they subsequently returned to AA r ellington.