BIRKENHEAD RESERVOIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 137, 10 June 1911, Page 9

BIRKENHEAD RESERVOIR.

■ TEE MAYOR'S EXPLANATION.

'li connection with the resignation of bra members of the Birkenhead Borough Council arising out of the pureta of a property lor the construction of a reservoir, the Mayor (Air G. J. Ear) has furnished us with a statement ia explanation of his attitude: —"Ratepapers and residents of the Borough, he said, had received the impression that tie Mayor had purchased a site for a reservoir without consulting the committee specially set up to deal with emergencies or without the consent o£ tie Council as a whole. The facts were that some few days before the regular Council meeting, the engineer submitted r. plan and virtually reported to him. that tie present site was unsuitable for tkitarvoix, as if it were built on that , site H would collapse. The only and Bast /jiia.ble site for the construction tfUt reservoir, the engineer reported, ks on the other side of the road. lis position was safe and of the retired elevation. "Recognising the im--ptance of the matter," said Mr X.ay, W the necessity for immediate action, I secured the site at the lowest price fe owner was prepared to take in the (pen market. I then placed the matter before the whole Council at the Council seeting the following evening, previous to the documents in relation to the transfer of the property being si,smed, Dd in explaining the position to them, 1 informed them that if they dnj not Sank that they were justified in purtksmg the property in the interests of fie ratepayers, I was prepared to take the property myself. The whol° Conntil present expressed their satisfaction it the price agreed upon, and when the resolution sanctioning the purchase of the property on behalf of the Borough ms moved, only Councillors Hadfield and Wallace objected. They gave as their reason that the Emergency Committee bad not leer- consulted before any steps lad been taken. I did not deem it secesSary to call the Emprjrr-ncy Comin'ttee together, as the fulll 'Council neeting was convened for the evening fallowing the day on which -the price Ws settled, and I thought it better to bj the matter before the whole Council instead of placing tbe responsibility on ac Cormmitfcee, That my course was & correct one* (the Mayor concluded) •as borne out on Thursday last when file resignations of the two" Councillors .ra reported, and the resolution as appearing in Friday's 'Star' unanimously paed by the Conned."