STRAND EXTENSION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 9, 14 September 1945, Page 5

STRAND EXTENSION

CONFERENCE ARRANGED INTERESTED PARTIES TO MEET As a result of the Chamber of Commerce invitation to lie Borough Council to convene a meeting of interested! parties in the Strand l extension scheme' to link up with King Street, a decision was made at the recent meeting of the Council to concur with the suggestion and to fix a date jointly with the Chamber suitable to the Whakatane Harbour Board.

The Deputy-Mayor (Cr Shapley) could see no reason to vary the. previous decision of the Council to invite a deputation on the subject. The Council lie lepresented the people and had treated the Chamber with all courtesy. There was ample time at any ordinary meeting to discuss the extension with a deputation. The Mayor: Do you think the subject. would demand a long discussion ? • Cr Shapley: No, the whole matter would .have to be referred back to us. and if there is any financial cost about it—well we just couldn't face up to it. Let the Harbour Board put up their scheme first and we will dealt with it in. our own way. Cr Canning was not in favour of a deputation Avhich he said would be dealing with it in ten minutes. It was. far too important to be dis-< missed like that. It should be carefully considered and discussed from all angles. Cr spoke for the well-at-tended meeting convened by the Chamber of Commerce and assured the Council that on that occasion the Harbour Board had stated that the road would be put through at no cost to the Borough. He refuted the suggestion that the Chamber was trying to usurp the Council in any manner. It's motto was to be of assistance and to promote progress and when the businessmen of the town favoured a certain niove it was its job to bring it respectfully to the notice of the Council. The Mayor: We don't want to be one-eyed about it, I'm quite happy to discuss the matter, Cr Shapley: Why doesn't the Chamber take up our invitation ? there is nothing before the Council in proper form. If the Harbour Board has anything delinitt to propose let them bring it to our notice. This town has already ipore roads than any other of its size- and that's about as much as we can manage. The Mayor thought that Cr Shapley Avas. misconstruing the whole position and p:ointed nut that the Chamber had invited the Council to call a meeting and he for one. was in agreement that such a subject could not be handled on,an ordinary night. The foregoing decision was made accordingly.