"A MARE'S NEST."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1429, 2 May 1912, Page 6

"A MARE'S NEST."

CITY LAND BARGAINDISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL. SOME PERSONALITIES. A discussion permeated by a. certain jmount of personal feeling took place at tho meoting of the City Council last evening over tho following recommendation brought down by tho Tramways Committee:— That they (the committee) have coneidered the question of tho light area granted by the council to Messfts. A. S3. Faterson and Co. in 190", and are of opinion that such-grant was not in tho interests ; of tho city, and recommend that tho- land should bo resumed. ' Councillor Hindmarsh said tliat he had been responsible for bringing this matter before tho committee. It was an application by A. S. l'aterson, in tho first instance, for a right-of-way. He did not say that tho application should not havu been made, # and he took some of the blame, himself. The committoo had relied upon its chairman, who had apparMitly neglected to'obtain a report when the application- was made. Ho (Councillor Hindmarsh) -found now that Mr. M'Coll (lighting superintendent) had protested at the time agninst anything being taken out of tho block on which the lightIng station stood. Nevertheless, the council, by resolution, parted with the land for tho ridiculous sum of .£l2 a year. To take a slice of land out of a section in this way spoiled the section for most uses. I'lie .£l2 had hardly paid interest on the cost of a wall which the council had been forced to erect. The position now was that unless tho council resumed this area a necessary extension of the lighting station switchboard could not bo carried out.' no was fortified in his remarks by a report of tho Wellington Tramway Board, which wrote on April 32, Ftnting that tho spacoin question should rover havo been parted with. Tho sooner the council got out of this bad bargain'tllo better. Councillors had to trust one another, and when they found that their trust had been misplaced owing to connivance or otherwise, the sooner tho mistake was rectified the better. Tho position was, in short,, that tho officers had reported that the land should hot be parted with. It had been parted with, to a City Councillor, Councillor Shirfclifl'e. He (C'onncillor Hindiiiarsh) confessed that he had been lax iri not investigating tho matter when it was first raised.

Councillor Sliirtcjiffe and Councillor Godber rose simiiltaiicoijsly as Councillor 'Hindmiirsii iat down, but tho Mayor interposed with the remark Hint !ho motion, bs framed, seemed .to , reflect upon the decision of the council. It was tho rulo that such a motion should not bo taken sit all. He asked the chairman of the I'rnmwnys Committee (Councillor Smith) whether the suggestion of the clause was that the council could resume tho land dv that negotiations could be entered into .ivith those who. held it. , Councillor Kraith said that it was the, intention of the motion that the council, should negotiate. Tho council could tato the land in t;he ordinary way under tho Public Works Act. ; ' - Councilfor'Shirtcliffe in Defence. Councillor ShirtcMo now took up the subject, Councillor Godber. giving way. Councillor Slurtcliffo said that ho pro-, posed to retiro while the matter under discussion. .It was a very important .matter, ani he thought it only right that ho .should .leavo his followcouncilloi's to ■ come to. a decision on tiw motion in tho report. Before, retiring, ho desired to mako a statement becauso of his position in the firm of A. S. Paterson end Co.,- and also as a member of the City. Council. Ho had a feeling that, running through tho words of the resolution and through tho words used by Councillor Hiudinarsh, there was a suggestion "that lio (Councillor SuirtcliiTe) had somehow, as a 'councillor, influenced the decision of tho council and of tho committee of that tlny'in granting the light area. Hβ wished to say that this application from his firm was made in l!)0li, months before he even thonght of becoming-a councillor. Nothing was dono in the matter at that time. 'I'ho reply tho firm got to the first application, for a right-of-way, was that the matter would be considered when tho land in question was being dealt with. The matter remained at that stage until some time' jifter April, 1907. He stood for the council in 1907, and the matter of tho light «\rea was not decided until October. Tie wanted just to say that, he had held himself, as a councillor, entirely■■ aloof from this matter while it was under consideration by the committeo and by tho council. Councillor Godber: Hear, hour!

Councillor SMrtciiffe continued that he took no part whatever in the discussion, either by the committee or by the council, and Councillor Hindmarsh had been -ungenerous in suggesting that there had been connivance, lie did not think that lie should express any opinion upon the merits or demerits • of what the council did at that time (in 1907). It had to bo remembered that the matter was being dealt with fivo years after tho event. Councillor Ilindmarsh had ridiculed tho rent of JCI2 a rear. It was the rout of n piece of land 30 "feet by 8 and doublo tho relit per square foot was* being paid upon itthat was being paid upon tho Jand of the adjoining main lease. Within tile last few days lie had consulted Jlr. Ames (city valuer), and tho. latter iiad stated that he considered the sum of .£l2 per year quite a fair rent for the land. Councillor Sliirtcliffo said that he had not spoken to a single councillor or to the Mayor of that time (15(07) with regard to this' question. The only man lib had consulted was Mr. Kichardson. Tho latter, after being in favour of a right-of-way to Mercer Street, for some reason changed his mind, nnd said that ho would liave no object ion to tho firm .being grant-ed-a light area. No report had'been made iiy Mr. Uichard=on against granting this light area. The plan for it. had been prepared in tho electrical engineer's office, and no protest had been made nt tho ■time. It was extremely unfair that any councillor should get up at this stage, five years atV-r tho cwiit. and imply that ]>re?'-inro had Ijeon brought to bear by the speaker in regard to llii.s paltry piece of land. Councillor Slsirtelifl'e now left his plac?, nnd was leaving (he room when the Mayor intervened with fhe romark that it vns unnecessary f hat'the councillor should'retire. Councillor Sliirtciiffe, however, persisted in his intention. Councillor Godber Is Indignant. Councillor Godber claimed that for honesty of purpose and integrity his reputation was such that Councillor Hindmarsli might be very proud to have it. Hβ had been appointed chairman of tho committee two years previously to tho transaction on.the motion of Councillor Hindmarsh. . Councillor Hindmarsh: And on tlio motion of Councillor tihirtcliffo Councillor Godber: "And on the motion of. Councillor Sliirtciiffe I was nominated again." There was an insinuation, he continued, that Councillor Khirtcliii'o nominated him for ulterior objects. Such a suggestion made in the council chamber was beneath contempt, and it required no refutation on his part. Tho proposal had first been brought up in Jlay, 1907. Consideration was postponed until August, and then again postponed, and it was not finally decided until October, 1907. In the first place, there was strong opposition from Sir. M'Coll, then one of the engineers, to the right-of-wny, nnd his report was discussed and commented upon. If Councillor Hindmarsh eaid he did not seo tho report, then he must havo been negligent of his duties, and been absent from meetings—which was not nn uncommon thing, by the way. Mr. Itichardson had made no objection to the light area being granted, and the City Engineer hud actually said about the right-of-way, "I am inclined to think that such a right-of-way would be of benefit ia the City Council's work." The mattor was decided in the committee and in the council without any voting, and members all thought it a very equitable transaction. The city solicitor stated that there was no objection made by the electrical department to the area being granted; in fact, the electrical department had drawn up the plans. A Nasty Alternative. Whatever might bo Hip. decision now— rireuiiiataucfis might hare altered—l.ho council 'as w ell v- the cnjnmit.N"' weri then' of opinion that it w»3 a proper

thing to do to grant tho light awn to A. H. Faterson. Tho rough minutes ot tho committee, showed 'that when tho niatlor was brought up, Councillor SliirtclilTo left tho room, us he (lid subsequently when the question, was before'the council. Councillor Iliuduiarili was fond of finding mare's nosls. it would be better if ho had approached the subject in a different manner, mid been less anxious to find faille with councillor:; who were, trying to do their duty. No such insinuations concerning councillors had ever been made- by any other councillor than Councillor Hindmarsh, and if Councillor Hiudmarsh was iiny gentleman lit all he would withdraw the remarks he hail made. Councillor Hindmarsh rose 'o mako n personal explanation. ..Ho had left open tho alternative that Councillor Godber did not himself know about tho reports. He had been charitable enough .'to ii.-«mno that if he did know about them he wouid Imyo resisted tho proposal. Ho did not chargo Councillor Godber with conniving at anything. Councillor Godber reiterated that Councillor Hindmarsh had said it was done with the connivance of members. The Mayor hastened to explain that Councillor Hindmarsh had said ho did not mean to impute any niutive. Ho had oven said he himself was guilty of neglect of duty. Councillor Godl>er: I think I haveproved to Iho cotincil that it was not dono in ignorance <in my part, or on tho part of other members of tho committee, and I am only left the other alternative. ;Tho Mayor: But Councilor Hindmarsh has said that he did not know what information was in your possession at the time.-. < . Land Should.he Resumed. Councillor Fitzgerald thought the matter should not bo approached as a personal matter. Tho question was really whether tho council should take every care' to make .provision for a fast growing business. It seemed that tho only thins to be done to provide a new switchboard was to resume the area. The Tramway Board had said on April 12 of this year that the. lighting station site should never have been encroached upon. At the time it had been stated by Mr. M'Coll that it was unwise to alienate any of the site. Tho transaction with A. S. Patcrson had been an honourable one, and lie did not wish to traverse it. But he thought the property should be resumed, and he would support the motion. Councillor I'rcst said it seemed to him there was no great urgency about taking back tho land. Councillor Sliirtcliffc had not been a member of the council when the transaction was first opened, and when it was subsequently under discussion Councillor Shirteliffe had left tho room. He agreed now that it was a pity the land was ever granted, but ho insisted that there was no reason for blaming Councillor .Shirtelilt'e. Councillor Fitzgerald: are not blaming him. . Councillor Frost: "lon were blaming him. It seemed to me that yon' and Councillor Hiudmnrsh were blaming him." • He added that if tho council decided that the land was needed, the land ought to'be resumed quietly, without aspersions being cast on anybody. Councillor Cohen agreed generally vntn Councillor Frost.

A Costly Business. . Councillor Trevor said that if tho land was to bo resumed it would be a costly business, about ,£SOO or £500, and ho thought it would be as well to go on as long as .possible without it. A. S. Paterson would have a good claim for compensation if the council took away light which they had honourably contracted to"e"e. Councillor Fuller said tho council would bo setting up a bad precedent if they took ruthlessly what they had given awny in proper form. Ho moved that the clause be referred back to the committee, and in tho meantime that a report on tho matter be prepared by the Engineer. Councillor M'Konzie seconded tho motion. Ho could not conscientiously support a motion without knowing something about what it would entail, and what it would cost. He hoped the amendment would appeal to the good sense of councillors. 11.11 Councillor Atkinson said lie had intended to propose an amendment similar to that moved by Councillor Fuller. His own amendment would still, however, have left the council to affirm the statement in tho claurc that the transaction was not in tho interests of the city. Ho saw no reason to hedge on that, and ho did not liko fte deletion of this from the proposed amendment. He showed, also, by reference to the file, that; there was no opposition, no reference, in fact, in any report on the file to the committees ultimate finding. It was a mistake, and he would bo glad to see it put'right. , Councillor Cameron supported Councillor Fuller's amendment. But lie thought it nnwiso that any matter pertaining to dealings in land should U> discussed m open council. It was not good business to let it bo known that the council urgently required this land. He wossatisfied that Councillor Shirtcliffe had ■ throughout dealt perfectly honourably in the matter. Councillor Smith deplored the insinuations that had been made against Councillor Godber and Councillor blurtclifle. Ho was sure that the latter was not the sort of man, to do anything under-hand. Amendment Carried The amendment was carried after a division, the voting being as follows :— Ayev(B): Councillors Smith, Frost, Godber. M'Kenzie, Barber, Fuller, Cameron, Cohen, and the MayorNoes (5): Councillors Atkinson. I'itzgerald, Fletcher, Himlmnrsh, and Trevor.