FARMERS DISCUSS PARKING AT YARDS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29830, 24 May 1962, Page 15

FARMERS DISCUSS PARKING AT YARDS

When the Christchurch City Council heard a deputation on parking at the Addington saleyards certain remarks were made by the Mayor of Riccarton (Mr E. J. Bradshaw) which were unworthy of the leading citizen of such a borough, said Mr A. C Wright, president of North Canterbury Federated Farmers. when he reported on the meeting to the provincial executive yesterday. The newspaper reports had not given the public a good idea of the deputation’s case, said Mr Wright. "We were only asking for something that had been taken away from us,” said Mr Wright. “These were the remarks by Mr Bradshaw, Mayor of

Riccarton. The deputation was not to the Riccarton Borough Council, but to the City Council. The saleyards are in Riccarton, but . the highway is in the city.” Mr Wright said. “Mr Bradshaw made certain remarks and I did not answer them because I did not want to get down to the level he did. I thought I should trea: his remarks with the contempt they deserved. They were unworthy of the leading citizen of such a borough.”

A point he tried to make was that if farmers were not given some measure of relief on parking they would tend to decentralise their business, said Mr Wright. Mr M. J. Harris asked if any consideration had been given to the question of moving the saleyards. “I am not in favour of shifting the yards,” said Mr A. C: R. Robinson. “The City Council took a poor outlook on tlie deputation. It read very poorly. I have read since then that they are cutting down elms. Yet they refuse us parking. The whole thing is wrong." Mr Wright said that if the saleyards company was forced to shift there would be no Addington. The cost of moving would be such that the return on the investment would be I’/z per cent. If the company was forced to shift, it would not rebuild. “It would sell the land and get out. You could not blame the company for that. If there were to be other saleyards they would have to be owned by the municipality," said Mr Wright. Mr C. G. Robinson said he was glad Mr Wright had made it clear the deputation was asking for only what they had before.

Mr D. W. Gray said that if the saleyards were shifted to Sockburn, say. there would be the same problem in a few years. In fairness to Mr Bradshaw he said there were no parking meters in Riccarton. said Mr Wright. But the side streets were all full anyway and no-one going to the saleyards wanted to park at Church corner.