MORAL RIGHT TO METAL.

Shannon News, 16 December 1924, Page 3

MORAL RIGHT TO METAL.

BOROUGH GIVES COUNTY NOTICE TO QUIT.

FRICTION OVER BARTHOLOMEW ROAD. PIT. At Saturday’s meeting of file Rorowhenua County Council considerable annoyance was expressed at the attitude taken by the. Levin Borough Council in regard tq the. claim of tne Horowhenua County to 'take metal irorn the Bartholomew pit, which l'or some years has been worked jointly by the two bodies. A conference of the two inte.re.sted Councils was arranged lor last month and duly took place, when the County Council tepiesentatives put their case before the Borough. At Saturday’s, meeting of the Council a letter was received irom the Borough clerk as follows:.—“My Council at its-last meeting gave further consideration to the taking by the County of mefal frqih the pit. in Bartholomew Road, and 1 am directed to inform you that my Council will allow the County to. take their supplies of metal from that pit until the 31st March, 1925, after which date the pit must he vacated. It is also understood that the taking of metal is subject io control by my Council. Further, in reference to tne Austin crusher, my Council asks that such parts qf the original plant as are at present in the iCounty yard shall be put up for public auction ” The chairman stated that in regard to the metal-pit, the. Mayor had made the statement that the members of the. County Council had the idea that tnty had the same right to the metai-pit as had the Borough Council. This was wrong but it ■ was quite, certain that the - County had a right. The position was that the Borough Council, before they could take over the metal-pits in the Borough, had been compelled to provide metal-pits for the local bodies, and the Government as well, in other parts. It had been recognised by the County Council when tilie Borough was being formed that the reserve at Weraroa should not; be, cut up by an unsightly metalpit and the County had accordingly banded it over to the Borough.. It was hard when this was done, that they should he given to understand that they had no rights in the pits provided toi take the. place of. that reserve. What Cr. Broadbelt had suggested at the conference between the County and Borough representatives seemed to be a re.aisonabl one, viz., that the County Council should be allowed to take metal up to a. certain boundary, after which they should vacate the pit. What they - had to complain of was the position taken up By the Borough Council that after March 31st the County Council would be summarily evicted. Unfortunately the County "had no legal status, and the Borough were evidently not prepared to admit their., moral obligation. It was regrettable, that such should be the oase. Gr. Harkness said it was regrettable that the excellent relations, which had previously existed between the two local bodies should be jeopardised as was being done by the Borough’s action.

Cr. Catley said he could quite agree with what had been said by the previous speakers. The position was, ne thought, that, there were 10 acres at the Bartholomew pit- His suggestion was that they should be allowed to take a further three, acees. He considered that the. Borough Council,had treated them rather shabbily in the matter, and it was regrettable tha,t such a position had been taken up: The Council, Gr. Catley said, had definite rights and he would suggest that the Borough should he approached in an amicable manner. He had been present at the conference and had thought that, the Mayor’s personal feeling towards the County was. reasonable. Such a state of affairs was bound to come sooner or later, and as their predecessors, had neglected to preserve their rights., the best thing they could do was to. go to the Borough Council and see if an arrangement could be aiTivqd at.

Cr. Harkness. said that there were things underlying this matter which he could not very well say in open meeting. If they were in committee he could speak more plainly. The question of going into committee was debated, but not proceeded with, it being eventually decided tnat a deputation wait on the Borough Council at its next meeting.