WIDENING COLOMBO STREET.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 849, 14 March 1877, Page 3

WIDENING COLOMBO STREET.

A public meeting of ratepayers convened by his Worship the Mayor, to consider the advisability of acquiring a section fronting Colombo street for its widening and also for the erection of municipal offices, &c, was held last evening in the Oddfellows’ Hall, On the platform were Crs Nathan, Hobbs, Hawkes, Thomson, Bird and Turner, Messrs D. Craig, W. Montgomery, Wynn Williams, Treadwell, Casa, Sec. There was a very large attendance, the Hall being filled. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair. His Worship the Mayor said that the meeting was called to discuss the advisability of adoptieg a resolution passed by the City Council, which the Town Clerk would read.

The Town Clerk read the following resolution :

“ That thin Council authorise the taking of the necessary steps under clauses 179 and 180 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, and clauses 21, 23, and 23 of the Public Works Act, 1876, to acquire possession uf town section 733 for the purpose of providing and maintaining public offices within the city, in which to hold the meetings and transact the business of the Council, and for the use of its officers, and for holding public meetings and transacting public business relating to the city, and for the further purpose of widening that portion of Colombo street which lies immediately opposite to the Bank of New Zealand. And that the Council cause a survey to be made, and plans to be prepared, showing generally the purposes for which it is intended to apply the land, and the nature of the works proposed to be executed, as required by section 21 of the Public Works Act, 1876. And further, to consider the desirability of borrowing a sum not exceeding £30,000 to be expended in the purchase of the said land, and in the erection of the said buildings.” The Mayor said that under the new Municipal Corporations Act it was provided that no money should be borrowed without a public meeting, and they now met to discuss the question calmly. There was no reason why they should come to a decision that night, as they would have a poll of the ratepayers shortly. He hoped therefore that all would have a fair and impartial hearing, and that upon the evidence adduced they would make up their minds. He would call upon Cr Turner to address the meeting. Or Turner said that it had been stated that the General Assembly had done wrong In curtailing the powers of the municipalities to borrow money, but he thought that after that meeting they would agree that the Assembly were right in hedging _ about the power of borrowing and placing it so that it might be reconsidered, [Or burner here read the clauses of the Act bearing on the matter.] He took it that this was very useful legislation, as it would necessitate the citizens meeting together more often in the future to discuss matters of importance to the city. They would have to decide whether the City Council should have power to borrow £30,000 or not. He proposed now to put to them his view of the matter. When he was returned some eighteen months ago it was proposed that the city should obtain some ten or twelve feet from Mr Morten to widen the street. If they neglected the present opportunity they would not be able to get it again, [A Voice : “ We don’t want it.”] Well, they had only to say “ No” at the ballot-box, which would at once put an end to the matter. It was no use saying “No, no,” now, but let them go to the ballot. A committee was appointed to confer with Mr Morten, and they offered him £2OOO for twelve feet. He declined to do this, and asked a very large sum. Finally he said he would not give them any part of the laud unless it was taken from him by judge and jury, An offer of £2500 was made to him for 10ft of this land, but he refused to accept this offer. A good deal had been said about the necessity df acquiring the land for municipal offices anil cnajnberg. They did require this, and this was the beat site ip Christchurch for it, I “ No, no.”] Perhaps it might not be now, but fitly years hence it would be. It was necessary that they should state what they intended to do with the land, He wanted the land for widening Colombo street and for an endowment for the city fifty years hence. Mr Morten had written to the papers, and he would read what he said [Bead.] The City Council never asked that such clauses should bo inserted, and he gave the statement an unqualified denial. He would ask, how were wo paying foi cur i ail way a Juab now? [A Voice—" Hull of them are nut paid for,”] No one knew better than that gentleman that they were

paid for out of the sinking fund. It was by no sleight of hand, but by a sinking fund, that the City Council proposed to pay for that land. What they proposed to do was to take the property at a fair assessed value, and the only advantage they had over Mr Morten was that they had power to issue debentures. They proposed t,o let the land for the present, raising the interest on the money by rentals, and placing aside 1 per cent to redeem the property at the end of fifty years. This would leave the section perfectly free. Mr Hobbs’ plan was to connect certain shops with the hall for public meetings and the City Council. It had been shown that the amount derivable therefrom would be sufficient to pay all. Bo far as he was concerned, he did not believe that any jury would give Mr Morten £20,000 for his land. Even supposing they gave the whole £30,000, it would stand clear in forty-seven years at an mteiest of 3 per cent. fA Voice: “ Why don’t you take it off the Bank of New Zealand ?”] Well, the reason was that they would have to pay for that very expensive building now on it. He thought that he had shown them that, financially, it would be a success, He said this, if the acquiring of this property would add one penny to the rates he would vote against it. [“ Where is the security?”] The security was this ; the assessment was £II,OOO per year, whilst Mr Morten said that it yielded him £2OOO per annum. He did not think they had any reason to doubt the security. The question they had to decide was, was it necessary to acquire this property. [“ No, no.”J Well let them vote “no ” at the ballot-box ; so far as he was concerned the responsibility would be off his shoulders. It might not be imme liately necessary, but it would be by and by. Last week about 7000 vehicles and 800 horsemen passed the Bank of New Zealand corner. He might say that the papers wrote a great deal on the subject of vehicles going at a walk, but they intended to do this. In answer to a question from Mr Clark, Mr Turner said that he had said that the conduct of the drainage meeting, as reported, was a disgrace to Christchurch. [Bisses.] He said that the attempt to put down any speaker by brute force was unworthy of their intelligence. [Hear, hear.] Mr Treadwell moved—“ That as the city possesses an admirable site for a town hall on the Market place, and as the Council have no idea of the amount that might be awarded to Mr Morten at arbitration, and as the larger traffic of London and continental cities passes through places as narrow as the Bank passage, and further, ao through the difficulties in which Government is involved the city is threatened with the loss of its subsidies, it is inexpedient to purchase the block.” At present Mr Morten was drawing £2OOO a year from the rental, Mr Turner explained that only some £I3OO or £I4OO a year wag drawn by Mr Morten.

Mr Treadwell proceeded to say that, supposing £llOO or £I3CO a year conceded by Mr Turner, there was a large amount of the section not built upon which would, when so built upon, return £2OOO a year. He contended that the City Council, after paying the various charges incidental on landlords, would only have about £6OO a year to meet the interest.

Mr Turner here came forward to speak, hut was met with a storm of hisses and retired.

Mr Treadwell then proceeded to criticise Mr Turner’s speech. He (Mr Turner) said that the reason why they wanted ,to acquire the block was that the Act necessitated the stating what they required the land for, and then afterwards he said that he only wanted it for an endowment. He thought that the city possessed an admirable site for the proposed Town Hall in the Market place. As regarded the plan now before them, he did not know who drafted it, but it was about twenty-one yards out. [Cheers.] He thought that the Market place was a far better site than any they could select. | Hear, hear,] He would conclude by moving the resolution he had read, Mr Wynn Williams said that be had heard nothing before the meeting. Surely they must ask the people to say aye or no to something. 1 Mr Turner: No; it is only necessary to go to the ballot.] Then they might as well go home, as Mr Treadwell had proposed a resolution that it was inexpedient to purchase the block. Lie should have very great pleasure in seconding the resolution. [Cheers.] It was a pet scheme of Mr Hobbs, and had long been a matter for Mr Turner, from his point of view, that it would be a very good thing to get a valuable piece of land. If the land belonged to Mr Turner he would argue very strongly on the opposite side, What he (Mr Williams) said was this, that to take this land, as proposed, would be nothing but legal confiscation. Mr Turner had said that no jury would give Mr M orten £20,000 for this section. Wouldn’t they ? Well, the jury being owners of property themselves, would give a very large sum of money beyond its value, a very large sum for the compulsory taking of the land. The City Council, he contended, by their action had put before the people of Christchurch the very strongest possible arguments that Mr Morten was entitled to £30,000 or even more. The whole fabric was based on pure supposition. Where were the Council going to get the money to build the buildings proposed. If they wanted to build a town hall they had far better sites than this. [Hear, hear,] But he did not think that a town hall was a necessity at all, and he for one objected to spending money for the erection of a town hall. He thought that it would be perfectly impossible for the Council to erect shops, &c, for such a sum as would enable them to pay interest and sinking fund. He was sorry to say that he had now to refer to a matter which had a strong bearing on public matters in Christchurch, He wrs sorry to say that his friends on the left had said that the meeting held in that hall the other night was a disgrace to Christchurch. This they did simply because the resolution was carried against them. He said this, that the meeting referred to was one of the most orderly held in Christchurch, The reception met with by some of tinspeakers was well deserved. Was Mr Harman or Mr Wright interrupted ? No. And why ? Because they spoke common sense Ha stated this boldly, that no one who spoke sense was refused a hearing. The only reason why the speaker referred to was interrupted was that be had treated all those listening to himself as fools, and himseli the only one worth bearing. Mr Turnei himself had asked them to avoid personalities, and he was the first to break his own recommendation. The question was, die they require this land either for widening Lite street or building the buildings spoken of? He emphatically said no, (Loud cheers, and cries of "Ho, no.”]

Mr Casa briefly supported the resolution, and concluded by asking the ratepayers to vote “ No” at the ballot bos as one man.

Mr Turner explained that at the end of the leases in June, 1877, the buildings now there would have to be swept away and the laud let on building leases, the tenants erecting buildings, paying rates, &c. He had no wish to reflect upon the drainage meeting whatever, but he said this, that it was not creditable to the common sense of the ratepayers that a man should be put down by brute force. There were persona who went round to these meetings to interrupt, and whose tactics had the effect of preventing many a good man coming forward from the ridicule heaped upon him by these people when making perhaps the first speech in public in his life. Mr Hawkes said that he had been requested to state that the map put before them was not as stated by Mr Treadwell incorrect, as Mr Fisher was entitled to take his building out to the shape in which it was now shown. They were bound to show what would be the state of the city, irrespective of the present convenience of owners of property. Mr Hobbs, who was received with mingled groans and cheers, said that he had no petscheme to put before them. If they wanted to hear him, he would be happy to address them; if they did not, he would sit down, and they might go the poll and vote against taking Mr Morten’s land. [Cheers and hisses.] Mr Nathan said that it would be hardly right for him to retain his seat, seeing that he was in the minority with the Council on this question, and also because he was not one of the two-thirds which comprised the intellect of the Council, [Laughter.] He opposed the scheme from the first for two reasons—first, because he did not believe in imposing additional burdens on the ratepayers when they were unable to bear them ; and secondly, because he was opposed to any body who had the power taking the land of a private individual when he desired to retain it, | Hear, hear.] A great deal had been made of the traffic passing through Colombo street, but he would ask them to remember the width of Cheapside. Here, it was stated recently that 1000 vehicles per hour passed through this thoroughfare, which was not so wide as the one they were now asked to expend a large sum in widening. [Hear, hear.] Therefore, he did not think it at all necessary to do this work at the large cost Besides this, he, with Mr Williams, believed that a jury would assess the value of this section at a very much greater price than was now contemplated. He felt that there was very little likelihood of their doing what was proposed without an extra rate, as the returns would not pay the interest . and sinking fund. He thought that posterity might very well be left to pay the increased price which would, if the population warranted, be necessary for the proposed widening, [Cheers.] Mr Wynn Williams —I ask the Mayor to put the resolution. I consider that we have a right to put any resolution. Mr Turner came forward to protest against the resolution being put, and quoted from the Municipal Corporations Act to prove that no resolution could be put. [A Voice—- “ There’s nothing to say he shan’t put a resolution.”] A conference took place around the Mayor, who had the Act before him.

Mr Cass then expressed his surprise at Mr Turner’s protest, and contended that the Mayor was bound to put the resolution.

The Mayor said that he would put the resolution, as he felt it a matter of duty to accede to the request of the meeting. A vote of the city would be taken under the Act, of which duo notice would be given, Mr Treadwell had asked pemfisaion to amend his resolution as follows—•“ That it is inexpedient to purchase section 733, known as Morten’s block." [Cheers ] The motion was put and carried unanimously. Or Hawkes moved, and Or Turner seconded —“ That a poll of the citizens be taken on the matter,” which was carried, A vote of thanks to the Mayor closed the proceedings. _____