SUMMIT ROAD.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17103, 26 March 1921, Page 2

SUMMIT ROAD.

MR ELL AND THE COMMITTEE.

A COMMISSION PROPOSED.

At a mooting of the Finance Committee of liie Summit Ro.id Association, held on Weduesdny evening, Mr H. G. Ell informed a reporter that a statement was made that a small executive of the Association was in existence. "1 want to say,'' Mr Ell taid. "that as : senior member of the committee I know ~ nothing of the existence of this small

executive: and it has never been appointed at any general meeting: I n-vve-attended every general meeting. The Finance Committee carried n motion deciding to write to every member of t ; a ; > Association and ask tnem nottto pay any subscriptions to me, as the Association's official collector is Mr Pickles. 1 stated that I did not colicct any money for the Summit Road Association, but for special work at the tram terminus, and also for work lor the benefit of the sclicme. <» '"The Finance Committee further resolved to wait on the iSummit Road Scenic Reserves Board and ask that. Board to join with the Association in n request tnat Alio Government should set up a commission to enquire into my association with llio Summit ' road scheme, and to take into consideration my powers as inspector 01 scenic reserves. J stated, when this was agreed to, that it was my intention to communicate with Mr Massey, '.lie Hon. D. H. Guthrie, and t'iie Hon. Sir Francis Bell, and intimate to them that I was working hard and zealouVy for the sehemo, and would continue to do so, bub would not submit to any decision of. any commission, or any authority, which sought to deprive me of my rights as a citizen in this connexion, Mid i'.jiat the public alone would stop /no working for it. I told the committee that if I had not acted as l_had acted, very frequently in opposition to the committee's determination, the Summit load scheme would never have been advanced to ils present stage. In view of the opposition of .the committee to many of -ho proposals. I (liad no alternative but to seek tho help of those who were in sympathy with the ideals 1 was working for." . "•

Mr W. Machin, the chaii'man of tho Association, who was seen iogarding Mr Jill's statement of what occurred at the meeting, said that he had no objection to the publication l of the details mentioned. He wished two points made plain:_ First, that thero iV no "small executive" of the Association in existence; and, second, that the request in the circular which is to be issued is that the subscribers should tsee that their subscriptions actually reauh the Summit Koad Association, as a number of communications had been received, from business men in town who stated thatthey had paid-their subscriptions to Mr Jill to be Landed to the Association, but had been afterwards approached bv tho Association's collector fur their * subscriptions, from which it was surmised t|iat.tho treasurer of the Association Mr Ell. Mr Machin added that there was absolutely no suggestion that th» membership subscriptions had been miv ?&"&' a ' ? hat had J«n>«ted was that they had not reached tho Association s treasurer.