MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 92, 11 January 1908, Page 6

MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

■ THE SQUANDERING OF A-SITE. , HAVE THE WELLINGTON PEOPLE BEEN FAIRLY TREATED? In:a recent interview with Mr. John Smithy chairman of the committee-set up ,by the* City Council to go ln'to-.the question- of . tho establishment of municipal -markets, -that :gentlonian stated that the chiefthe . matter of a suitable. s;to,- anil -that to ( sccuro one would • cost somo £20,000,,, which would -bo prohibitively- expensive..- wA jre- 1 Spected citizen .in the person . Tonks, a 'resident- of Wellington /since.: 1842, Smith on; tho a site fpr niarkots, and maintains - by > ; argument,.■; supported by tho best' legal'.-advice obtainable, that,the city',lia's its '.markettfeseryej.-iwliich is being, used/for. purposes')otgerVthah' was intended and as-specified-in tlio, Crown grant undor which tho citv became possessed" or the site. Mr. Tonks refers;, of course, ■to that tuangular block of - citv - lands bounded by Manners, Cuba, and Dixon Streets on which the Royal Oak Hotel ,is situated. At the time Mr: Gilmer's leaso" was converted- into a Glasgow lease, Mr.,,Touks.entered a pro•.test .against -tho• action'','of''Vlhoj. Councili. saying, . that •_' the . j>erpetual-'lease - . wa'sy' m tho opinion of, , some; ■ just as good ,as . the freehold, and " . that, ■: the city iWas. converting - this lease -at a, merely nominal increase m the ror.t, of 5 per cent. He_ further, states i.that-this .'.m.afket -irqservo,'. which has ■ been - virtually, taken away from the peoplo, was given to tho citizens of Wellington- for the purposes,of.■'a\'-market--place, or tor,other purposes of -publip utility,, and was. so .gazetted on July, o, -1864, and subsequent to that was used : for ;a- time for tho purposes of a mirket.. He points - out in furtherance of his argumenti that the citv has been misused m this regard: and that there is no finer site m all Wellington for markets, seeing - that all, -or altnost all, our produce' is. i'a'il that.the reserve' site is only a; iaiv Iniiidred yards' fr6;n' both wharves' and railway station.; '-. As .' matters i now stand,; the -Council- pays: the -rents'into the genoral fund, and this is only a benefit to,the ratepayers. ...What'benefit were the rent-payers (who; indiredtly „ pay the rates) receiving from -the'reserve not being .put. to its proper^purpose?i-, ■ Mr, Tonks. does not in . any way. blame; Mr. Gilruer' ,for> getting the i *.'per^otoal. < lease;-he holds,, buti'he. does blame/tho jCity ( Council 1 for. a., breach . of.' people, and - he advocates, , even now,- that tho market reserves;, should,':- B® : . re-acquired : , "oven .if. the'"city', h'asrto to'..Mr. - i'.;'?j-' ■ jV. v' What' is Vif interest:. ih''. v thi.S;|regard Ms.* the title- under which; the citj'.oWns'tthis-.valuable' block. It reads ,;asUoHowsj^,. /■ '

"Vicfcoria," byth'o' grV\ce of r /(3o'd*, / of' ; the ted Kingdom and G rest;'Britain\ and '.Ire- ' land,.l ■■ all .pre- :- sents shall, cpme, greeting I ye'.th'at • for good'considerations/.ijsi'theraiunto.'mpr- : ; ing ; we. for-us," . do : hereby grant -unto '.the : Siipeririterident' \of the' Province- offAYolJingtoii'and-his' sue-: I '/co'ssors, Siiparintondents'-?pf ; th'q : ;'s3id :Pro)-. i vincci pf AWcllihgtqn'jn.' purj Colony; of .. Now■',/Zoaland, Situate:-,,ih^.the; town., of Weiling", '• ton, containing'. .by, .admeasurement < Thrco. ■ (3)' rPod3' and thirty. (30)'' porches,, be ; : tllo ; , samo more'or loss, lp'art of the-Public' : roservo, numbered. (8); eight■.on-.''the.plan of J i thb' : said:Town\'.; ; >;; "Bounded towards'; ■; tho - nbrth-easta.-by; Man-: f - lifers -. Street',' five liundrod:and; forty-three' r (ti43) ft. soveii (7) inches;.'towards the South iby.Tarariaki •• ..Place;; five fhundrcd and ■; eighty-eight (588) ; -ft. j' and towards'' tile.; wost 'by.'Cuba,Street, one ■ .hundred; and forty-five (145) ' ft. .ten •" (10) . inches, 1 / 1 as the' same is ■.delirieat'cd. i on the .' plan ' V'dipwn;' l !- in .••- <"tno .'.margin hereof, .'yith';;„'ijl}';'i'th"Bj, rigjits'.; and 'iip•"■piirtcnarices. 'thereto ; "bclonging, ;60. ; . hold : >'unto.-.thp - said ' Superintendent; I ''.of. . the ProyineP 1 'of-Welllrf^bn-'ancPhis 'sufceessbrsin trust- as 'a site 'for. a public -''market;''or

' for other .;purposes", of . public utility."'ln ' t'ostimpny ,:wKere66':'"we ' have - caused; this btir' grant, 'to''; bo'; 'sealed . with .thefjsoal, , of' oiir Colony' of New "Zealand, '.-witness our trusty and well-beloved ; Sir ; George' :Grey, K.C.8.,. Governor, and Commander-in-chief in and' over 'the Colony of. Npw Zealand-at-Wellington this--tenth day of January, in the thirtieth year of our Reign and in the year of Our Lord one thousandeight hundred ;ain°d. '.axty-seveuV"* '• . A: plan of the Roservo is attached, and in. the.mar'gin is the.following-:— -. ;•' 'M, Grant'.,-to. the Superintendent.', of . 'Wellihg- ■ ton-, under-..the .Public Reserves Act, lS&i,' . witK-f.tbe'/advice; and- : .cons'eiit:_ of- r the Ex-, ecutiye-' Council.';'.. Foster, Go'rijig'.(Clerk, of Executive- Council)'',, -surveyed' by Robert .. Mixer.'Skeet. • V Henry-;. Jackson,";' Chief i'District'Stiryeyor.''j;-; ' v; : : '.