MAYOR IS PLEASED

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12615, 27 November 1926, Page 4

MAYOR IS PLEASED

AT KENT TERRACE DECISION DELAY HAS DEFEATED HIS PLANS WORK CANNOT BE DONE IN TIME The Mayor is pleased at the decision of the commission on the Kent terrace alterations, hut admits that the work probably will not be finished by the time that the Royal visitors arrivo early next year. “From a personal standpoint niv councillors should feel gratified that a public inquiry has been held in which a greater range of expert evidence has been possible, and that the outcome has been a full and complete endorsement by the commissioner cf the policy of the council,” said Mr Norwood yesterday. “However this may he, my councillors and I particularly are more concerned with the advancement and interests of the city. Tho complaints to the City Council relating to the improvement which they have made at the other end of the terraco warranted me-in feeling that there was scarcely any possibility of serious objection being raised to similar treatment of the remaining end. Feeling that these thoroughfares which had been the scene of many accidents would bo taxed to their utmost during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, and believing that the work would not he held up for any length of time, forced me to make a recommendation to the council to have tho work completed by Christmas, or, failing that, before -1 ho arrival of the Royal visitors. GUIDED BY FEELINGS “If there appeared to be undue haste the public can be assured that suc.li haste was prompted purely by the feeling that it was in the best interests of the city to. perform the work, and I am quite sure that the civic spirit of our people makes them anxious that the large number of visitors to Wellington on the important occasion I have mentioned shall have a favourable impression. From this point of view it is regrettable that the work has been delayed to such an extent as to make it well nigh impossible, and that the council, in addition, has been put to very considerable expense by the action of the objectors. I do riot suggest that those objectors were prompted by any other than a publio spirit, but tho evidence of the commission shows that they were ili-advised.-“The work of tidying-up tho area will he dono with the greatest possible dispatch. Formalities havo still to be gone through, and I trust that the objectors will consider the interests of the city and facilitate matters in every possible way. At present the other trees cannot, be touched until the injunction is dissolved. As much as possible will be done before Christmas.”