A KNOTTY PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 56, 29 November 1907, Page 5

A KNOTTY PROBLEM.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. " You have got' a pretty knotty programme before you," said the Premier yesterday to a very persistent deputation from Now ilymouth, who contended that tho Hon. B. M'Nab, as Acting-Minister for Railways, had promised, .under certain circumstances, to hand over to 'the borough, free of cost, for the purposo of a street, a stretch of the, Railway Department's land in front of the New' Plymouth goods-sheds. Tho free gift which tho Minister was supposed to have promised, though vouched to by four persons, was not mentioned in a letter of the Hon. R. M'Nab, or in a resolution of tho New Plymouth Borough Council, bearing on'tho subject. A report submitted by tho General Manager of did not bear out the deputation's claim, lho Premier also stated that he did not think the Department. could hand over its property liko that for nothing ,to anyone. Tho deputation, comprising Mr. E, Dockrill (Mayor of New Plymouth), Councillor Bellririger, Mr. J. B. Connett (chairman of tho Now Plymouth Harbour Board), and Mr. E. Maxwell (member of tho Harbour Board) was still persistent in its claim. According to its belief, Mr. M'Nab promised that if tho Council was prepared to buy that portion of the railway yards extending from St. Albans Street to the Huatoki River, re- , quired for a new street, and also to construct a now bridgo ovor tho river, and leavo tho road suitable ■ for traffic, tho Department was willing to sell tho land required at a price to bo fixed by arbitration. In addition, tho Minister promised that tho Depitrtment would hand over to tho borough as a street ,free of cost, tho land in front of the goods-sheds,' extending from Kawau Street to tho Huatoki River, on that the. Harbour Board also gavo an eightfoot strip of land necessary to mako this portion of the ■ new street 66 feet wide. , Tho General Manager for Railways reported that tho Department was prepared to extond Molcsworth Street on condition that tho Council was prepared to purchase, at a price ,to be agreed upon, tho necessary land for a street 66 feet wido, and render the whole street suitable , for traffic. Mr. M'Nab'had. written to the Mayor of New Plymouth as follows:—"I have no objection to recommend that if tho local body 13 prepared to pay for the land required to effect tho necessary access, and to do all the work necessary to render it 'suitable for traffic, the Railway Department should sell a portion of land suitable for the purpose." The Council had also passed a resolution .simply affirming its rcadiuoss to purchase land for a street if tho Department was propared to mako tho extension. At tho end. of a long argument, Sir Joseph stated that if Mr. M'Nab had made tho promise referred to by tho deputation, it certainly was not in any of the records. 'Hβ could not sottlo tho matter without reference to Mr. M'Nab, who had gone south. Members of the deputation argued for some fime longer, and- occasionally words were rathor warm, but no further satisfaction was reached.