WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 7

WATERFRONT RAILWAY.

"CITY COUNCIL DODGE." TO BE UNMASKED. BY MR. HARRIS, M.P. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Friday. "I shall take full opportunity of unmasking the Auckland City Council's objectionable proposals when its Empower Bill comes before the Local Bills Committee of Parliament, before which fortunately it must come," said Mr. A. Harris, member for Waitemata, in an interview. Mr. Harris pointed out that an apparently innocuous clause in the bill was undoubtedly intended to pave the way over legal difficulties, which at present make the deal in connection with tho Quay Street railway illegal. The clause is No. 9of the bill. "I am somewhat concerned to see suca a provision." continued Mr. Harris. "This , obviously refers to the proposal to, acquire land opposite the Ferry Build-1 ings for the purpose of widening Quay| Street. It will be remembered that in the Auckland City Council's bill of last! year the validation of an agreement j was sought, by which this transfer of land from the Harbour Board to the j City Council, was to be made for a nominal consideration, plus the right to ■ construct a railway along Quay Streetl West, This bill met the fate it i deserved in Parliament, and evidently the local authority concerned is not prepared to take the risk of reintroi duction. I "The transaction would have looked I much straightcr had the Harbour Board asked for validation to sell or dispose of some of its endowments at very much less than the market value. This clause is worded in such a way as to have a general application empowering the City Council to arrange the amount of compensation to be paid to any local authority, public body or harbour board for land required and for any public work." If passed into law this means that the agreement between itself and j the Harbour Bo:ird which the City Council endeavoured to have embodied in legislation last year can be effected exclusive the course of the part consideration last year, which was the right to construct a tramway along Quay Street West. That agreement proposed to exchange approximately £39.000 worth of land for some £9000. "When the proposed legislation is considered in conjunction with the recent issuing of a license by the City Council to the Harbour Board to construct 'a private tramway' along Quay Street, the subtlety of the movement is apparent. I should have thought the City Council would have known better than to embody such a proposal as this in their Empowering Bill in view of the , fate which met their legislative proI posal last year. The risk of losing their whole bill again this year, because .of this clause, is a very real one." 1