DEPUTATION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2573, 17 May 1871, Page 2

DEPUTATION.

THE GLUTS A RAILWAY AMD CRAW. FORD STREET.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs. J, Bat tray, G. L. Sise, W. J. Scoular, 11. M’Neil, and P. C. Neil, had an interview Avith his Honor the Superintendent, and presented the following memorial, signed by about twenty proprietors of business houses in CraAvford and .Bond streets. To his Honor'tbe Superintendent of Otago, The petition of the undersigned merchants of Bond-street, Dunedin, humbly shoAveth that your petitioners have heard Avith regret that it is the intention of the Government to lay doAvn the line of the Southern Trunk Bail way along CraAvford-atreet, Dunedin, at a distance of only 30 feeo from their business premises; that your petitioners believe that the traffic by heavy engines and trucks along a railway so situated Avill cause such a vibration as will shake the foundation of their premises'and very likely bring them down ; that, it the railway is actually laid down Avitiiin GO feet of the building line in CraAvford-street, your petitioners Avill be deprived of their right to a frontage to a street of that width, which the Provincial Government engaged your petitioners should have Avhen they bought their sections ; that your petitioners are fortified in these opinions by a perusal of the evidence taken by a select committee of the Otago Provincial Council in May, 1867, when considering the question of the site of the Dunedin terminus of the Southern

Trunk Railway. And your petitioners humbly request that your Honor will give consideration to the foregoing statement, and take such steps as in ymr judgment will prev nt the injury they complain of. His Honor observed that he was inclined to believe that the hcavilv-laden wagons which daily passed along Urawford street were likely to cause far more vibration than a railway train proceeding a'ong a level line at a slow pace. He might also state that he had been in communication with the General Government about having the line of r'dlway removed close to the water's edge, and that that had been agreed to, so that the stre°f would not be interfered with so much as if the line had been carried along the cent rc °f the street, as originally intended. A menher of the deputation enquired what the distance would be between the line and the buildings. The street was 63 feet wide. If, as it was believed, the railway would take 15 feet in the centre, there would be only 38 feet clear from the buildings. His Honor said the railway would be taken as near to the edge of the embankmeiit as it could safely be. He understood there would be a clear space of 50 feet between the lino and the buildings. Before passing from that point, he might remark that to take the railway outside the line of the street would involve an expenditure of nearly L9OO, which was a very large sum. Mr Rattray observed that, if damage was done to the building, it would cost the contractors three times that sum for compensation His Honor; If the owners of property find that damage is done to their buildings, they will no doubt have the right of action against somebody. ' Mr M'Neilj pointed out that the Public Works Act of last sesaou gave the Government power to take a railway al*ng any street without compensation. His Conor : I don’t think the Government would do any such injustice as that. As to the report of the select committee appointed in 1867, Lazarus’ bond was the great bugbear at that time. There was a "rcat difference of opinion as to the effect of vibratvn upon it, and the arguments are about as weighty on the one side as on the other Mr Voge.’s letter, published in the Dunedin papers, showed that in the large cities of America no objections were made to railways passing through the streets. Mr Rattray pointed out that the bustlings in Bond street were built on a very linn foundation; .and it was incidentally mentioned that even a carriage passing by the Universal Bond caused a vibration. Hia Honor : Of course, if you like, 1 will forward this memorial to the General Governmant, with a request that the Government should take professional advice upon the question of vibration ; but I know that engineers who have been consulted on the subject pooh-pooh the idea. Mr M ‘Neil, going back to his Honors observation, that to take the railway oufaidc the line of the street would cost L9OO, asked what the Government would conti ibute in the event of proprietors of property being willing to pay the eUra outlay. Spcalting for hiinse f, he should he disposed to pay his share of the cost, rather than the line should pass along the street. Mr Rattray said there was an aspect of the question which had been lost sigiit of When his firm purchased the land on which their warehouse was built, they had a fron tage of 66 feet to the street. If they were deprived of that frontage the question was raised, —how much of the purchase money should they get back from the Government ? His Honor did not think there waa the slightest chance of the Provincial Government paying any compensation. Mr M'Neil’s offer that the proprietor of property should pay half the cost of carrying the line outside the street, was a very fair one, and had, he thought, a very good chance of being accepted ; at all events he would recommend it. In answer t > Mr Rattray, Mr M‘Neil said the offer might he made without prejudice. His Honor : You must observe that the Government is cutting the thing as close as possible. They are limited to a certain sum; and even the expenditure of the £SOO suggested, would make the outlay beyond that sum. I connot, however, say that the General Government wall agree to the proposal, but I will use my best endeavors to have it done. Mr Rattray and Mr Neill were understood to say that they would not agree to the proposal, because they bought their land wite the understanding that they were to have a clear frontage to Crawford street of 66 feet. t .. Mr Scoular said he was willing to pay his share towards the cost of taking the line outside the street. After some further discussion, the deputation resolved that the owners of property interested should take time to consider what other steps should be taken.