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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3798, 17 September 1883, Page 2

The dispute between the Corporation and the Minister of Lands on the subject of building a fire-proof room has culminated in a piece of impertinence However much mistaken the Corporation may havo been in asserting its claims to the office it at present holds, its correspondence with the . Government has always been conducted on the strictest lines of official courtesy. Wo are sorry that we cannot say the same on behalf of the Government. As a rule tho Government has not answered the letters addressed to it by the Corporation, and in other ways appears to havo gone to some troublo to show its power to do what it pleases, whether within or above the law. AA T o know how it has seized laud and encroached on the public streets in this borough, and neither offers compensation nor proceeds under the Act in such a way as to enable compensation to bo awarded through tho channels provided by law. It has set the worst possible example to other governing bodies of how much can bo done by bounce and disregard of legal limitations, and the Corporation cannot do better than follow such a lead and bring matters to a climax. Tho last act of tho Government has been to serve a notice on tho Corporation inthematterof tho fire-proof room. It is not a legal notice in the common acceptation of that term, but is a sort of ukase, or Papal Bull, and ignoring tho courtesies of official communications addresses itself to the "Mayor and Councillors of the Borough of Napier." A similar nl-asa has been placed in tho hands of the contractors, and runs as follows:—"To"* David Glendinning and John Griffin, Napior, contractors. Take notice that no alteration or addition will bo permitted to ho mado to the offico, buildings, and premises now in occupation of the Napier Borough Council and its officers. And further take notice that you are hereby required to romovo forthwith all building materials which you may have brought upon tho ground for tho purpose of erecting a strong room or otherwise. Dated at Napier this 13th September, 1883. Horace Baker, Commissioner of Crown Lands, acting under instructions from the Minister of Lauds." The Municipal Council meets next AVednosday, and will have of course to "take notice" of tho above precious piece of AVo would strongly urge upon the Council the advisability of at once serving a legal notice on the Minister for Public AVorks that, unless the Post Office building and the Supremo Court building arc at once removed from their encroachments on the public streets, they will be removed by t)iG Corporation. Further, that unless the railway lino 18 taken from its encroachment on Munroo. street the said lino will be torn up. sooner tho Government is taught its propor position in relation to borough governments the better. 7