BOLTON STREET SHORTCUT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 289, 6 September 1928, Page 10

BOLTON STREET SHORTCUT

EMPOWERING BILL DELAYED

AMENDED PROPOSALS

NONCOMPLIANCE WITH FORMALITIES

Owing to the publicity not having been given to certain proposed amendments, the progress in the House of Representatives of the Wellington City Empowering Bill, which seeks to enable the City Council to construct a “street through portion of the Bolton Street Cemetery, has been delayed.

Following its introduction, the Bill was referred to the Local Bills Committee, which heard evidence on the proposals, and reported back to the House yesterday. The report was to the effect that the Standing Orders of Parliament had been complied with in respect to the Bill as originally printed, but not in respect to the amendments that the promoters sought to have made in the Bill. Publicity had not been given to those amendments as required by the Standing Orders. The committee recommended, therefore, that the Bill be not allowed to proceed. Mr. R. McKeen (Wellington South) moved that the report be referred back to the committee. He understood that the chairman would not object to that course being followed. The chairman of the Local Bills Committee (Sir George Hunter) said that as the evidence before the committee in reference to the Bill showed that there was considerable opposition on the part of a number of witnesses, and as the Standing Orders in regard to the amended schedule had not been complied with, the committee desired that the matter should be reported to the House, which could decide whether or not the Bill should be referred back to the committee. The Standing Order which had not been wholly complied with provided for survey plans and specifications being submitted for the ■consideration of the ratepayers when the Bill was deposited for inspection. That condition had been complied witli in connection with the original schedule to the Bill, but considerable alterations were subsequently made, and it was desired that an opportunity be given to hear objections from those ratepayers opposed to the amended proposal. Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton): Has the member any objection to the Bill being referred back? Sir George Hunter: There is no objection on the part of the Local Bills Committee that the Bill be referred back to it for further consideration. The Bill and the report were referred back to the committee.