The Waimairi County and, Traffic Control

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22194, 10 September 1937, Page 12

The Waimairi County and, Traffic Control

At a meeting of the Waimairi County Council on Wednesday night our criticisms of the council for changing its attitude to the scheme for unified traffic control over the metropolitan area were replied to with some heat. It was alleged that the council had given adequate reasons for changing its mind and that “ The “Press” had failed to give publicity to these reasons. It can only be said that the speeches made by Mr G. G. Gardner and Mr W. G. Chapman at the meeting at which the change took place were adequately and fairly reported in “ The Press ” of August 12. If “ the “records of the council,” referred to by Mr Gardner, contain additional information, that is not our concern. If, however, Mr Gardner feels that any point in his speech on August 11 was missed in our report, he should say what it was. It was further alleged that the council had not withdrawn from the scheme but was merely holding the matter “in abeyance.” This is a distinction without a difference. The facts are that the representatives of the council pledged its participation in the scheme for unified traffic control, and did so without any reservations. Councillors cannot now argue that the pledge was conditional on the Riccarton Borough Council coming into the scheme; they ought to have thought of that before. Nor will they find it easy to show that the Riccarton Borough Council’s failure to agree to the scheme, the possibility of which was mentioned at the original conference, is a reason for the Waimairi County Council to adopt a similar attitude.