MOLESWORTH STREET EXTENSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 13 November 1907, Page 2

MOLESWORTH STREET EXTENSION.

A SOMQRSAULT AND A DEADLOCK. A deadlock lias arisen in connection with lite proposed MoleMVorth street extension through the railway yard. The following precis of the correspondence explains: — Under date June 22nd, Messrs Dockrill (Mayor), J. E. Connett and Newton King (Harbor Board delegates) wrote to the Minister, inter alia: ''The plana of the proposed extension of Molesworth street were shown to the Minister (Hon. K. McNab, Acting-Minister for Railways) by the deputation, and he made a distinct promise that if the local |hodv were prepared to buy that portion of the railway yards fronting St. Aubyn street required for the new street and to also construct a bridge over the river and make the ro&d suitable for traffic the Department was willing to sell the iaiiil/ required nnd in addition would hand over to the borough as a stree'« the land in front of the goods shed extending from ICawau street to the Hua-

toki river." On the 25th June, Mr T. Ronavne, General Manager of Railways, wrote: '•r have the honor to inform you that the Railway Department is prepared to extend Moiesworth street from Kawau street to the Huatolii river on condi- ] tion twit the Council is prepared to purchase at a price to 1)0 agreed upon the necessary land for a street G6ft wide to connect Sit. Aubyn street with Molesworth street, and will undertake t(ol render the whole street suitable for trallie." ' He added that he had ascertained the position of affairs at the time of writing his previous letter, and "it coincides with the views expressed bv the Council in the letter under re-

Following upon a further letter in which the General Manager referred to ♦he extension of Molcsworth street from "Kawau street to the liuatoki river, the Town Clerk wrote Suggesting that that was merely a typist's error, and reminded Mr Ronayne that "the extension was from Kawau street to St. Aubyn street. The portion beween Kawau, Btreet and the Huatoki river the Department undertake to set aside as a street, provided the Harbor Board dedicate a small strip along their frontage to make the road CG feet wide. The General Manager replied the position is .... that the Department will extend Molesworth street tiom Kawau street to the liuatoki river, subject to the Council carrying out the other conditions necessary to complete the extension of St. Aubyn street to tne Huatoki river. . . The Department forwarded the valuation of the land, £01)70, for 1 rood iO perches to extend St. Aubyn Street (green), two roods from Molcsworth street to the river (purple), and 1 rood 2 perches between St. Auuyn street extension 11)11 feet towards Devon Btreet (yellow). The Mayor telegraphed to know it the valuation included the purple and green colored areas shown on ttie plan, and Mr Honayne replied that the £OO7O was for the areas colored purple and green, the yellow being retained by the Department, or oll'ered to the Council at £2400. . 1 The Mayor telegraphed in reply:— "Department agreed area colored purple to be handed over to the Council free, subject to conditions already complied with- See your letter 25th June. Kindly wire valuation urea colored green only. Yellow not required by borough." i i ) On November sth the General Maiia ger answered as follows: —"Arrangement was Department extend street conditional Council purchasing at price to be agreed on necessary land for street sixty-six feet wide connecting St. Aubyn street with Molesworth Btreet and undertake render whole street suitable for traffic. Department never at any time contemplated handing over land free, and cannot do it." This telegram was

amplified in a letter of the samo date. The' Mayor's reply referred Mr Konayne to correspondence, and said "you must see the Minister and the Department have already agreed to hand over Aloleswyrth street from lvawau street to the river as a public street free. In Llie lace of this correspondence, 1 am surprised at contents your telegram yesterday. Under circumstances trust telegram will be withdrawn and valuation of area colored green be forwarded.' The Mayor moved that the Council go into committee. Cr. 13el(ringcr opposed. He objected to tho principle of committee work. And, too, the Council h»4 nothing to {air and nothing to be ashamed, of iif tho business. He thought newspaper ventilation oT the subject might do .some good. XhS question of opening up a new street had been before the ratepayers on many occasiuns. The Council wanted the approval of the ratepayers in this matter, and secrecy or committee work would not assist towards that end. No one was more desirous than he was to have Molcsworth street extended right through.

Cr. Mills seconded the motion. At times he was opposed to committee work, but 611 this occasion, when the Council had received a "slap in the face" he thought the Council should go into committee.

The motion was lost by five votes to four. Ayes: The Mayor, Crs. Coleman, am) Browno; Noes; Crs. Bellringer, Collis, West, Mprey and Boon. The Mayor:' That's how far we've got. The next question is to decide the next step. Then he explained that the reason why ho wanted to go into committee was because he had certain information to lay befofe the Council, but he couldn't do it in open Council, so he wouldn't discuss tlje flatter farther. Councillors were doubtless aware that everything reported in the local ■papers concerning tlje Government departments was forwarded to 'headquarters, nn4 his information, if thus forwarded, would upset any future negotiations. It was quite clear that the Railway Department had made up its mind not to part with the land, for they had absolutely denied their own written statements and repudiated their own written promises. Cr. Collis wanted to know If any advantage would be gained by discussing the matter if, as the Mayor said, the Department was not going to give the laifc i- " Am Cr Bellringer, howevej', said he was not going to throw up the sponge yet. lie thought the land could J'et be acquired. He had no doubt that ihe reporters would suppress any statements j

made by the Mayor, if so requested, and hoped all the information would be placed before the Council.

The Town Clerk read the whole of the eorrespondeiKi; upon the matter. Cr. Bellringer was emphatically of opinion that thp matter had never been laid 'before the Minister of Railways, for be didn't flunk that Sir Joseph Ward would knowingly allow himself to be placed in the position of having 'turned such a somersault. lie (Cr, Beilringer) bad been deputed to interview Sir Joseph with a view to hurrying up the valuation. The Premier had received Mr Okey and the speaker very courteously, and assured them that Jhe would lopk into the matter. But, said the councillor, tl)c valuation ha'fl already been sent on to tiie Pftjmeil, show-

,jng conclusively that the Premier was not fnjly ill possession of all the facts. Yet Mr OooM, one of the Department's engineers, had stated that tile matter was entirely 111 the Minister's

[The whole of that correspondence had

never been beforo the Premier at all, and ho thought the engineering department was doing all it could to block this new work, and to negative the promises made to the deputation by til e\ Acting-Minister. The Hon. H. McNab had met a deputation of business men in a business-like mannw, and made certain promises. Those promises ivere evidently not in accord with the ideas of the engineers. This was a matter of prime importance to the town, and had been before the. ratepayers at different times for years past. Crr. Mills regretted the Council v/as not in committee, for there were many methods of looldng at the subject that might have helped tile Council in arriving at a conclusion. He moved to refer the whole matter to the Works Committee. '' Or. Boon moved that the Council now go into committee. Tho Council had gone as far as it could go ' in open open meeting. ' :

Cr. Collis seconded. He had opposed going into committee to give the Mayor an opportunity of making his statement. \ 'I lie Council went into committee, and after considerable discussion, a resolution -was arrived at referring the matter to the Works Committee with power to confer with tho members of the Harbor Board and tako what action they may consider Bectasarjr. ■ -J u .