"BREACH OF FAITH"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 103, 25 January 1919, Page 6

"BREACH OF FAITH"

ACCUSATION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.'! A protest against the erection of tho Defence Building, which encroaches on Whitinore .Street, was made in a letter from the Greater Wellington .Townplanning Association read at .the meeting of the City Council last night. The association., suggested that the cquncil might prevail upon the Government to abandon the project owing to the'fact .that'theWar was. now over. The .Mayor said . that, the council could really do nothing to prevent the building from , being erected, and the Government was iiot at alj likely to abandon tho building now. ■ ■ • , Councillor It. A. Wright expressed the strongest disapproval of ; the action of tho 'Government in overriding the city by-laws. What was the use cf Parliament giving power to the city to inako by-law's it' tho Government of the country would not observe those by-laws? He moved that the council take action iti. the courts against the Government-for breach of the by-law. Tito council might lose the case, but it would "show up" the Government. Councillor Luckie said that it was not tho first time or the tenth time that tho Government had "done this sort of thing in Wellington. The ■.Government had taki'n advantage of its legal right to close Whitinore Street, but it had no moral right to use that right. The city had given the statutory right to the Government, to close tho street,' but only on the understanding that tho Government wild first conclude its pai't of tli.; bargain,, which was that the station shouH be erected and connected with the system. Jno Government Iliad not fulfilled its'part of the bargaiu, but had taken advantage of a right given only conditionally on the fulfilment'"of that bargain. It was a- gross breach of faitn on the part of the Government. It was decided to ask the city engineer to advise the Council as to the position as between the Council and tho Government. ' -