MR ALISON'S TELEGRAM TO THE MAYOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 229, 25 September 1903, Page 4

MR ALISON'S TELEGRAM TO THE MAYOR.

The very sensible message addressed to tlie .Mayor by Mr Alison, M.H.8., and published in our last issue, with reference to the Domain exchange of sites, has aroused the ire of our morning contemporary, which, with senile loquaciousness, again repeats its parrot cry that the scheme is "opposed by the almost universal opinion of the people of Auckland." This attempt to gain credence by oft-repeated misrepresentations is really very pitiful, in view of the fact that the proposal has been four times before the City Council, and at three of these meetings was unanimously endorsed, and at the fourth was objected to only by two members. That since then nine members of the Council have appeared before their constituents and openly defended the exchange, staking their seats upon' the result, and bave. been re-elected, while the only new member of the Council when addressing the electors in th. course of his candidature, spok. in favour of the bill. Further, that the exchange hw_ b.cn considered repeatedly by the Borough Councils of Parnell, and Newmarket, and endorsed. That a .nference of nil the local bodes around Auckland, who are all as deeply interested in the Domain as residents in the city. aicer devoting weeks to the consideration of the question of hospital and charitable aid administration, adopted a resolution unanimously approving oi" the location c_ the hospital for mino>infections on the proposed site. Tne fact is that the agitation has been engineered from first to last by a few property owners in Graf ton-road, and by two or throe old gentlemen who form the leading lights on ihe committee of the Seenerv Conservation Society, backed by the'"Herald." How very representative this body is of the citizens of Yuckland may be inferred from the fact that at its meeting this week, which further considered the Domain question, there were just, six persons present, one o* whom favoured the exchange and drew attention to the misrepresentations by which signatures had been obtained to the petition to Parliament against the bill. It is veallv amusing to watch the little dodges and wire-pulling that hay. been resorted to for the purpose of creating an appearance of hostility to a measure which will immensely improve the Domain, will conduce to the economical and efficient ndnnuislration of the public funds for hospital purposes, and will serve the most humane purpose to which public philanthropy''can be directed— the kindly treatment of sick women and children. We congratulate Mr Alison upon his appreciative message to the Mayor. and hope that tho other Auckland 'members will cordially support Mr Kidd in passing the bill into law. We learn that the committee appointed by the deputation which waited on the Mayor subsequently interviewed Sir John Logan Campbell and asked him to convene a public meeting, but that Gentleman declined, stating that he would fake no a.tion in the matter.