THE BASIN RESERVE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2582, 2 October 1915, Page 6

THE BASIN RESERVE

' AND THE TRAM TRACK BILL STRONGLY OPPOSED " i The Bill promoted by the Wellington City Council to'enable tliein to run tho tram-track through tho Basin Reserve, according to- the schemo of ; tho City Engineer adopted by tho Council, was beforo the llouso of Representatives yesterday. Already the career of thisBill has been chcqucred. The rights and wrongs of-the schemo wero debated ficrcoly and often long beforo they wore embodied m a Bill, and tho Bill lias had adventures in tlio few weeks it has been beforo the House. First; it went to the Local Bills Committee, wliicli heard, evidence on it for throo days, at- the end of which time mombers of the Committco arrived unanimously at tlio conclusion that tho Bill ought 1 not to bo, allowed to proceed, especially as it was possible for the track to be considerably straightened without encroaching on the Basin Reserve. The Bill, being a measure which proposed to'deal with land, went on to t'lio Lands Committeo. This Committco reported yesterday, and their recommendation was :that, 'with an amendment providing for the taking of a poll oil t'lio. question, the Bill should bo allowed to proceed. This Committee heard the evidence only of the City Engineer. Any proposal to violate reserves for any purpose jiover fails to rouso certain members, and there was a lively debate on the Committee's report. The member in charge of'the Bill congratulated tho' Committee on being a very sensible body, ' and on having come to a wise conclusion. It appeared,- however, that he was the'only friend the: Bill was likely to have. Mr. Ell raged against the "wicked proposal," as ho called it/. The' Hon. G. W. Russell thought the track should be altered, 1 but did -not admit that this could not be done without encroaching on the reserve. He':' favoured some of the other schemes for deviating tho line by purchasing land to enable the corner's to bo avoided. . Mr. WilfOrd made some reference to his own profound knowledge of the Standing Orders, and said that lie proposed to use it to im-pede-the progress of the Bill. Mr. Wright thereupon retorted: "You might ,have, a local. Bill' some day," whereat; Mr; Wilford professed to be 'much 'shocked. Ho moved,to refer the Bill back to the Committee. Mr. Buddo was the only speaker who:had doubt about the, proposal. .< He : was ~ sure. there should be a safer thoroughfare,, although not quite so sure that- the Wellington City Council's schemo. was a good one. '- Dr; ,Newman declared that the scheme, if careied into effect, would reduce the playing area , deplorably, and that the feeling of .the : people, was strongly against it. He feared that after the Council -had. "snavelled" this.' piece, they would presently agitato to be allowed to "snavel" more, until they wero allowed to run the line straight.'through, the ' ground. He .urged the necessity for preserving intact our open.' spaces in densely-popu-lated. areas.. ', ' Other members who spoke in opposition to the Bill were Messrs. P&irce, Isitt,_ and Dr. Thacker. - The motion was interrupted without a- division, but it' must come on again' next sittiug day. .