MINISTER'S "VOLTE FACE."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 69, 12 September 1911, Page 8

MINISTER'S "VOLTE FACE."

THE LEACH STREET TROUBLE, At the Borough Council meeting last night the town clerk read the following telegram from the Hon. Minister of Railways:— '•Re Leach street. I regret I cannot, for reasons stated in my letter of sth inst. to Mr. Okey, depart from the terms already offered the Council in respect to Leach street. These are: A clear title to sections purchased by the Government, and subsequently claimed bv the Council by right of use, or in the alternative, a cash payment of .£265 in I exchange for land on which the railway line was formerly laid." THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE. The negotiations have extended over four or five years. The following extracts from previous correspondence were forwarded to the General Manager of Railways in September, 1910: From the town clerk to District Engineer of Railways, Wunganui, August 4, 1!>06: "That in connection with the deviation, the Railway Department be requested to provide the following facilities . . . that when the deviation

is effected the portions of Leach street and Hobson street held by the Department to revert back to the Council." From the District Engineer of Railways to the town elerk, August 15, 1900: ''The portions 1 of Leach and Hobson street occupied by the railway will, 1 believe, revert to the borough when the deviation is completed." From the same on August 21, 1906: "The portions of Leach street and Hobson street now occupied by the Railway Department will be recommended to be handed back to the Council."

The town clerk, under date September

10, ill forwarding these extracts, wrote: '■You will see from the above that it was always contemplated that the street should revert to the borough, arul the Council trust yon will not insist on your request that the Council should purchase land which was originally their own property, and which your Department has had for so many years without payment of any kind." On June 12 last, the Minister of Railways was interviewed on the matter at Xew Plymouth, and the whole position clearly set out by Mr. P. T. ISeilringer, the town clerk. In the course of the next few days the General Manager of Railways, Mr. T. Ronayne. wrote: "With reference to your letter of May 18 last, and to the representations that were made by the deputation from your Coun-

cil that waited on the Minister recently in regard to the vesting of the land in Leach street that was formerly occupied by the railway line, 1 have the honor by direction of the Minister of Railways to inform vou that this matter has been placed in the hands of the Crown Solicitor, and the laud will be vested in your Council as soon as the necessary iegal documents ;tre prepared." The Council then began to make provision for street works, sewerage, etc., in the locality, but called a halt on learning the contents of the letter written on July 11 by- the District Railway Engineer's oflice, Wanganui. to the Crown Solicitor at Xew Plymouth: ''The Department offered to vest the land in Leach street for road pur|>oses on condition that the Borough Council would pay the estimated value of lots 18 and 20 (A and D), which had been withdrawn from sale owing to the pressure brought by the Council, the amount totalling to i-Go. The Council has now replied that in consideration of the Department issuing a proclamation vesting in the borough the portions of Leach street, formerly used as a railway line, the Council withdraws any claim's they may have to sections marked A and' D on the plan. This is agreed t«, provided the Council will put the Department in full i and undisputed possession of the sections marked A and B. . .

On July 20 the Council wrote protesting against the proviso sought to be inserted, expressing the view that the Minister was possibly unaware of it, and as soon as the matter came under his notice he would give instructions for the original agreement to be given efl'ect to. The Minister replied on August 8:

It was never intended that the Department should vest the land in Leach street in the Council unconditionally. . . ."

The General .Manager of Railways wrote on .September 1(1: '• Although no compensation was paid to your Council when the line was originally laid in Leach street, the Department purchased other land in order to provide for the requirements of the road traffic

and this land is still in the possession of your Council, and after giving the matter every consideration I regret that I cannot see my way to re-vest the land in Leach street in the Council unless the Council is prepared to pay the sum of or hand back to the Department the portions of land given to the Council."

DISCUSSED F,Y DISGUSTED COUNCIL. " HIGH-HAXDKD AND DOG-IX-TIIE MAXCEII WORK." When the telegram from the Minister was read last night the Mayor said it was the usual fate, of Ministerial promises to tlie Council. They were always broken. Tt was an unfortunate affair, for it hung up municipal works. He moved to refer the matter to a committee. Cr. Clarke: Why take it in committee? Let us fight it out in the open. I'lie Mayor: It is too important to deal with straight away. The Council knew, lie said, how the Council had been promised the land, and lnw the promise had .been withdrawn.

Cr. Buxton considered the -Council should have the matter brought tinder tlio notice of the Government. They had had enough of fooling round with the Railway Depa rtmcn-t. The Mayor said the Council had been put to considerable expense by the .Ministers attitude. lie had in mind a somewhat similar occurrence when a promise by the Minister of Railways to give land for Molesworth street 'extension was repudiated, and it cost the Council £9:»0'0 to have Gill street extended instead. It had always been understood that Leach street, when the rails were lifted, woidd revert to the Council— and so it would, but at the Department's price. Cr. Clarke: C'airt we force them to fence ? The Mayor: You can't force the Government. They can Gazette anything without telling us. just as thev «azettcd Wnimanu street away, and it "was as much as we could do to get six feet of it back to give access to the beach.

Cr. Clarke protested that the Minister's proposition was quite ridiculousasking the Council to hand to the' Government it piece of land to which thev already hid the title. The Minister when interviewed in Wellington, had offered to make the road, ami Gazette it in the Council's mime, so that the Council could turn round and close it. There was a nice proposal to come from a Minister of the Crown. It was the most dog-in-the-manger and high-handed piece of work ever perpetrated bv any Government with reference to New- I'lvmouth, irrespective of any previous unbroken promises. The Minister sat on the box-seat, and had the whip hand of the Council. But he didn't want the laud, tie wanted the lint for

inconveniencing property owners by making a street less than 00ft wide the speaker would be prepared to go on with the street works and take the consequences.

Cr. Anvhury said the Minister was treating the Council unfairly and not in any way straight. It would be better to go to the Government than to continue in negotiations with the railway people, and lie moved that a citizens' meeting be held to decide what steps to take. This course was decided on.