ROADS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 50, 22 November 1907, Page 7

ROADS.

DISCUSSION BY THE CITY COUNCIL. '

A spirited debate arose at the City Counci meeting lust night, over tho position of tht suburban councils with regard to tho stan. (lard of roads included in districts which had boon, and were about to be, taken over by tli« parent eounciL ..On April 8, 1905, the Onslow Borough Council approved of certain plans submitted by tho ' Highland Park JSstato Company, subject to certain conditions relating to the construe- • •' tion of roads to bo undertaken by that company. The district . was subsequently taken over by the Wellington City Council, and. the ' obligations of. the Onslow Borough Council: with respect to tho fulfilment, of the coirtli-' tions imposed by it upon the Highland Park . Company; were transferred to.the City Coiih;oil- On November 7, a resolution to the , effect that the roads in the estate under considera-' tioil bo taken over subject to certain re- , quiremoiits, contained in tho engineer's report, being complied with was passed by the City Council. Tho roads fere recently com-'-' ploted in accordance with io conditions imposed by the Onslow Boron;-? Council, but th&. question nt issue was, won these roads up to the standard requirements of the Wellington ■• City Council? v Councillor Carmichael moved that tho resolution referred to be rescinded. Ho said thai, I the roads in question were not up ttf the Standard required, and ho did not think that tin .ratepayers of tho city should be asked to make up the deficiency in that respect. : Councillor ITindmarsh seconded the motion; ■- He snid that it was not a question of > tho honesty of the Onslow Borough Council it : was a question of getting the roads up to a ■' certain standard, no stated that the Outlying ; Districts Couimittee had not had the required iuforihation before them when they recom-monde-d that tho roads be taken over! He did not wish to repudiate the agreement with i ie ■' Onslow Borough Council. Councillor Litlco claimed that the Committee ' had properly, safeguarded tho interests of tho , ratepayers. The Engineer's report had stated i that the roads were not satisfactory. They all know that at the time. '

Councillor J.lorrah was surprised to hear that tho Committee had not been fully informed on the matter. As a member of that Committee ho wns üblo to refute that statement. U the mooting of the Committee, at which the matter had been decided, there were four present and they wero evenly divided upon the point! winch was carried by a casting vote. Councillor Fisher said that there was an important principle involved. They were shortly io consider the absorption of a 'portion of. the Karon Borough, and lie drew the Council s attention to the state of many of the roads in that district.

Iho Mayor said that it was not in this instanc? a quostioij of road-standards. It was a question as to- Vhether they ought or ought not to repudiate tho Onslow Borough Council. They could not do Unit, nor did they wish to do that. Tho Onslow Borough Council had gone into the matter honestly and fairly. Tho resolution was , a proper one, and should not bo reconsidered. Councillor Carmichael'e motion, on bbmg put, was lost. ;