The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1879.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5559, 22 January 1879, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22, 1879.

On Friday, January 3, in answer to the deputation re the railway site, Mr. MacANDBEW said “ I think I can promise “ you this, that provision will be made “ to run the passengers up to the Lion “ Foundry, and if it is necessary, in order “ to do that, to make that reserve, it will “ have to bo done.” Nothing can possibly be plainer than this statement, and although it was unlikely to be thoroughly satisfactory to the citizens of Wellington, yet the decision arrived at showed that some concession to their desires would bo made. But upon that occasion the Minister of Public Works added these words; As I said before, the passenger station } “ will be brought as near the centre of

“ tho city as possible, and ultimately “ perhaps to the other end; but the “ goods station, I think, with all defor- “ ence, is better where it is, I assure “ you that carriages will run up here.” Great surprise and disappointment was felt and generally expressed when the announcement was mado on the very next day that tho engineers to whom the question had been referred had decided that the site in question was unsuitable, and therefore the station would be shifted to the back of the Government Buildings. Considering the importance of the subject, and the distinct premise given by Mr. Macamdeeiv, it was only reasonable to suppose that the questions submitted by tho Minister to the engineers would appear iu full ; to be followed by the answers returned by the Government Engineer ; and that the technical difficulties which prevented the fulfilment of the promises would be set forth in detail. But courteous treatment was hardly to be expected from a gentleman who informed the deputation that “sometimes people do not know “ what is best for themselves,” an argument which was intended to convince Mr. Nathan that tho Minister knew better than Wellington merchants what arrangements for tho transport of goods within the city would best suit their convenience. We have waited patiently, hoping for aomo extended information on the subject, but we are now entitled to assume that no such information will be given. The wishes of the Chamber of Commerce, the City Council, and the people will be one and all ignored, and Mr. Macandhew will be able to carry out his own idea, which he expresses thus, “It is my impression that we “ ought to get all the money we can and “ make the West Coast railway.” The first part of the sentence reminds one forcibly of the well-known advice given by an old Scotchman to his son, “ Make money, honestly “If you can, but make money,” and this arbitrary appropriation of the whole of tho net proceeds to the West Coast railway is but an instance of how easy it is to bo generous with other people’s money. The sale is expected to realize nearly half a million of money, and yet Mr. Macandhew scouts the idea of expending a bare three per cent, of the proceeds upon a reclamation for a railway station. He says:—“ We find that to ro- “ claim out here in front of CustomHonse- “ quay tho necessary land for the purpose “which we indicate now would take, say “ £15,000. We have not got the money “to do that yet.” The Wellington reclamation is expected to pay for the West Coast railway, and the money will bo used for that purpose, whether the representatives of the Wellington District desire it or not.

It has been the custom to refer to the action of the City Council and of Wellington members in this matter as an instance of the greed and selfishness of that body. But we have before us a copy of an agreement between the Corporation and the Provincial Council, dated March sth, 1876, for the sale of the reclamation by the Provincial Council to the Corporation. It is sealed with the seals of both bodies, and signed by the Superintendent on behalf of the Province and by two Councillors on behalf of the Mayor. The witnesses to the signatures are Mr. Travers and Mr. Bunny. The agreement declares that bn the payment of £30,000, plus the coat of reclamation and expenses, to the Provincial Government, the whole of the reclaimed land shall be conveyed to the Corporation, and shall be held by them as part of the estate of the city. There was nothing whatever to prevent the fulfilment of this agreement: all parties were agreed, and the payment of the money would have completed the transaction irrevocably. Mr. Moorhouse, the then Mayor, having in view the abolition of provinces, regarded the Corporation as the natural heir to this estate, and he therefore recommended the Council not to pay the money, and advised them to trust to the claims they had as heirs to secure them the property, without paying the £30,000. Unfortunately for the city his advice was followed, and now the Corporation and the city find that their rights are ignored, and their wishes are disregarded. But when the claims of the Corporation are mentioned it should be remembered that they at one time agreed to buy, and the province agreed to sell, the reclaimed land for £30,000 plus the cost of reclamation; and the agreement only fell through because the money was never paid over. Strict justice might require that the verdict of all the Wellington M.H.R.’s should be taken as to the manner in which the surplus of the reclaimed land should be disposed; however, there is little chance of this. A windfall has come into the hands of the Minister of Public Works, and he intends to make the most of it, if he is permitted. It is true that it was distinctly understood when the power to sell the reclamation was given over to the Go vernment during the last few days of the session, that only a portion of the land should be sold. Lest this assertion should be doubted, we quote the following extract from the Colonial Treasurer’s speech; • “ Mr. Ballance said, in reply to “ the question of the honorable member ‘‘for Wellington City with regard to the “sale of the Wellington reclamation, that “ it was the intention of the Govern- “ raent to sell only so much of the land “ as would recoup, within the year, the “ sum of £89,000 —the cost of reclama- “ tion—and the sum of £30,000 for the “ completion of the Wellington Hospital. “ It was tiie intention of the Govorn- “ ment to sell according to the last plan.” No one but Mr. Macandrew would care to press his claim for making the Welling-ton-Foxton railway out of ths proceeds of the sale in face of this distinct pledge to the contrary given by his colleague. That the Corporation desired to act fairly is sufficiently evident from the speech of Mr. Huniek, who said, when the Reclaimed Land Sale Bill (which was lost) was being debated,—“ The Corporation would be “willing to give up as much land in the ‘ Te Aro reclamation as would be equiva- “ lent to the land proposed to be given “ up under that Bill.” As he also explained that the Te Aro reclamation would cover an area of 110 acres, the reason for making the exchange was sufficiently obvious. Rumors of a monster meeting being held in connection with this matter have j long been current. From a letter, signed A, K. Newman, published in another

column, it will be seen that there is a strong probability of public opinion on the subject being clearly and unmistakably expressed. The facts which we have collated speak for themselves.