THOSE GAS MAINS. MAYOR OF MIRAMAR ON THE SUBJECT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 20, 23 July 1909, Page 2

THOSE GAS MAINS. MAYOR OF MIR AMA R ON THE SUBJECT.

SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. Reference was made by Mr. C. J. Crawford, Mayor of Miramar at the Borough Council meeting last night to tho gas question, which is at piesent occupying so much public attention. He said be was in a position to state that negotiations were actively going ahead, and he hoped that the press would stop what he termed the nonsensical controversy that was being waged. The matter, he urged, should be settled promptly. A large muniber of people were out of employment, who were for the time being partly assisted by voluntary subscriptions. There were also a large number who were not crying out, and were barely living on their savings. All the time,* work was being held up which, but for the present bickering, would relieve the situation. He coiisidered himself well informed on the matter, as for the past two years and a half he had been engaged on the question, and he maintained that seveneighths of what had been said in the public press had been irrelevant or" untrue. A correct statement had been made by the Hon. J. Carroll, ActingPrime Minister, in answer to the deputation which waited on him — it was a business-like speech, made after he had received some facts from the City Council, the Miramar Borough Council, and the Gas Company, and also no doubt from the Harbour Board. He made several suggestions to the Gas Company, which had been adopted. Mr. Crawford further remarked that the Gas Company had been venomously attacked about direct representations to the Gtjvernjnent, but he wished to point out that the Miramar borough should be the target, as it had asked for tho Order-in-Council, which it had every right to request. For thirty or forty years the people required gos, and the company had come forward and attended to their needs. Mr. Crawford then referred to last Tuesday's Post, in which, in an interview, the Hon. T. W. Hislop made the following statement : — "I notice that your contemporary states that tho Gas Company has done work to the extent of £50,000, upon ihe encouragement given by the Legislature. In the first place, I have to say that the company always, until lately, held out that they were legally entitled to claim the right to go through Melrose by virtue of their original Act. Certainly they never had encouragement from any person in a public position to go on with the work. On the contrary, Sir Joseph Ward always stated that he would not concede such a right without hearing what the local body had to say about it—and then only after very careful consideration. The points as to encouragement and expense have been mis-stated. I know that it has been ad vnitted by those immediately connected with the company that apart from tho gasometer, very little money has been spent, and that the gasometer could be removed for £3000." In answer to this, Mr. Qrawiord Said that he could only repeat the statement ho made at the Borough Council meetins; on the 11th June, that on that tftte the expenditure was £45,000. The statement of Mr. Ferguson, managing director of tho Gas Company, that the expenditure, however, approximated £50 000 required no confirmation. He would nsk Mr. Hislop — who, he said,, all knew was a Very absent-minded man — to withdraw his statement. Continuing, the Mayor remarked that it was a good democratic law under which the Gas Company proposed to carry its mains through Miramar — a just and equitable law which had come in for much abuse. Examples o"f its soundness were reflected in the Waimii-o-mata water-main, which travelled throucrh a number of municipalities, and tho Wellington sewaue system, which traversed the Mirnmar district. Before concluding, he said that he hoped that the Mayor of the City Council would be in a position in a very few chvs to doclaro the matter finally settled. lie also hoped that those people who have had recently such "hot heads" will remember that those representing the communities of Wellington and Mirpmar are tho proper persons to deal wijti the matter. The appeals to the "mob' 1 only did irreparable harm.