THE HARBOUR BOARD ANGRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1786, 26 June 1913, Page 5

THE HARBOUR BOARD ANGRY.

TE ARO LAND TAKEN. BY STATE FOR THE RAILWAYS. Tho Hallway Department is earnest in its intention lo proceed with tho equipment of tho To Aro Railway Station with the goods shed, promised bv the .Minister , for Railways last yea)'. This was made quite elecir in a recent communication liuulo verbally to tlio Harbour Board's engineer (Mr. Murchlkinks) by tho General Manager uf Railways (Mr. 'I'. Jtonaynp); On receipt of tiie definite intention of tlio Hallway Department, Mr. Marciibiinks reported to the chairman of ilie board as follows:— "1 liavo to report that Mr. Honayne, General Manage', New Zealand Railways, recently informed me verbally that it was the intention of the Government to take a purl ion of the ljonrd's land at Te Aro lor the construction of a goods elation, Mr. Honayne asked ine lo confer with Mr. Burnett, the cliicf engineer, N.Z, Hailways, a» to the land which the ■ Department would require, and the laud which the board should .retain to provide access to future wharves whiph may bo built in this locality. , I informed him that 1 would repoft the matter to tho board in tho meantime, and would afterwards see Mr. Burnett rn the matter if instructed to do so. I gathered from Mr. Konayne that the Minister wishes to have tho land ho requires surveyed and taken by proclamation at an early date. I'rom tho inquiry which the Minister previously made, and tile plans accompanying his letter, it appears that some 10 antes of land would likely bo taken (including tho Cable Street block). If this land is acquired by tho Railway Department, Die balance of the reclamation will not bo of vory great value to the board, inasmuch as about one-half of the 7i acres remaining will be required for roading, und will mostly bo in an exposed situation not readily lensable. I would further point out that if this land is taken by tlio Department by proclamation, tho compensation to be received by the board will only bo the proportionate cost of the land to tho board and not its value as per Messrs. Amos and Muir's valuation. This 1 need scarcely point out will be a. serious matter for'the board, toid will prejudicially affect its interests, apart from which very considerable inconvenience must arise through the frequent shunting of wagons from ono station to another across the entrance to the board's wlmrves." •

In referring to the matter at last night's meeting of the board, the chairman (Mr. Fletcher) referred back to a minuto of the board meeting, held on November 27 last, which read as under: "That, in reply to tlio" communication from the Hon. the Minister for Railways, inquiring as to the terms on which the board is prepared to dispose of about ten acres of its Te Aro reclamation to the Railway Department for tho purpose of establishing a railway goods depot at .Te Aro, the Hon. the Minister be courtcoiuly informed that the board is strongly desirous of obtaining possession of the laud in view of its paramount importunes for the development of the port, and emphatically protests against tho land being used for any other purposes thun thosp for which the Harbour Board proposes to utilise it." Mr. Fletcher said th,e time had como when they should take strong action, and he proposed that a deputation from tho board should at onco Wait upon tho Prime Minister in connection with tho matter. ' It was, Jie said, nothing short of scandalous that the Government should seek to take this land. It meant that if the board ; was deprived of its endowment in this way, that eventually the port charges must increase. The land was very valuable, and would be more valuable for warehouses and other purposes, and they could not uflord to loso it. The Government had picked tho eyes out of tho Tlionidon reclamation, and now they wanted to take this. They would not be looking after the board's inteiests if they did not make a' strong protest.

. Sir. Jones seconded the motion, and said that he agreed with all Mr. Flctcher had said. Mr. B. A. Wright did not agree with the chairman. 1 They could not blame tho Government for taking advantage o£ what was in the Statute Book. They might as well ask the Government to repeal the Public Works Act under which the land was taken. He did not think they had any grievance against the Minister—it was against the Act. Mr. Cobbe 'said he hoped Mr. Wright did not think they should sit down and allow the Government to take away their endowments without a protest. He felt with other members of the board that it was a great injustice to tho board. _ Mr. M'Fatlane rather favoured the idea of endeavouring to get a fair valuo for the land. Mr. Trevor said they could never get the value for the'land. They wanted it for their own use, and they should do all in their power-to block tho Government from securing this land. Tho chairman said that they would bo up against a very big proposition in asking the Government to repeal the Public Works Act. He believed that Act worked beneficially for the publio in many instances, but their case was quite different. Here was a- case where the Government was taking ten aares of valuable land for 110 object at all. Mr. Trevor touched oil tho point when ho said that the Government could not give them tho value of tho land: The motion to wait upon the. Prime Minister was agreed to. '-The deputation will take phco at 9.-15 a.m. on Wednesday next.