"A GRIEVOUS WRONG"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 8, 10 July 1923, Page 22

"A GRIEVOUS WRONG"

EXCHANGE OF A SECTION.

TO.-IHI JDIIOR._ , „

Sir, —Mr W.iJTHelyer" m your issue i the 6th inst some unjustiable statements against tho city counnllors, and .incidentally against the leadng city officials'and Mi J J. M'Grathj although ho 13 careful to say '-Tie doeanot blame Mr. M'Grath " * Tha reason th^at prompted our association two jeara ago io urge the council to exchange a poition of the reserve for a section of IMI M'Grath's land adjoining tho same ro servo at tho Roseneath side, T\as tho fact that tho council had no funds available at th© time, -and that T,ho aiea 'of 'the rosene would-bo largely increased and Roseneath Supplied V^ith a much needed recreation gi ound_and m a site for the lift 3?oi the^ last two""years this exchange has been pi eminently lieforo our association ..and tho public. , It has been repeatedly preferred to_m'our re ports and m tho Press, and-tho Mayor referred to it m his" last municipal address to the elector3""of Roseneath and Onontal Bay, when^he said it was hoped soon to complete the exchange and proceed with the erection of the lift Why h/s Mr. Helyei, who is a member of gut association,* made no protest against-;the exchange till long after tho transaction is completed and an attempt being made by inteiested paities to mIduce the council not to proceed with the lift' JSo far as this exchange is co'i cerned, the citizens _of [Wellington m 1 general, with the. possible "exception of Mr Helyer, and the residents of Rose neath in "particular, have every cause to be satisfied with the council, the Mayor, the late Mr. Morton, Mr Ames, tho City Valuer, and.'the City Sohcitoi, all of v,hom during tho long negotiations ' took an active part in the tiansactions, 1 the result-of \\hich is'to increase tho area of, the Town Belt by nearly thiee I quarters'of ari. acre. Members of tho council and its professional officeis, moio than once inspected the respective pioperties, and the Finance Committee fully considered the exchange before the council as a whole approved 'of it, subject to the (condition that the area of the leservo 1- adjoining Mr M'Grath's pro perty, which wras-the equivalent in value of the land at Roseneath, was to be ascertained by a judicial arbitiator appomted'by the council, and this is what your correspondent terms -'-'an act ..ot; vandalism" and "a grievous wrong" The arbitrator, after hearing both parties in open Court, as well as expert evidence, found that an area of 64ft by 100 ft adjoining Mr "M'Giath's re'sidence'at the bottom ..of the reserve was equivalent in value tq tho three quarteis of an aero of Mr _ M'Giath's property at the top of and adjoining the reberve On com pletion' of tho inclined lift tho council intends to lay this new area of the leseive out in an attractive manner, alsj the flat'land in the quarry sfte on the Oriental parade frontage, so that the whole scheme will tremendously improve the appearance and attractiveness I of thisiarea.—l am, etc., _C M.TURNBULL, Eon. Secrotaiy Roeeneath and - Oriental Bay Electors' Assn. ■7th July. -.. ,- - .. _