"A DUMMY BOARD"

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 105, 31 October 1923, Page 8

"A DUMMY BOARD"

; Interviewed regarding the differences of opinion which have arisen between the City Council and the adjacent local bodies regarding the-control of the Hutt road, Mr. J. W. M'Ewan (Mayor of Petone} *Utej that the dedjiga qf tfes

Legislature to place' the control of the road solely in the hands of the City Council is th.-i cause o£ the trouble which has arisen. Even though the city ' was only interested in the road to the extent of some 38 per cent., yet it was placed in the position of being able to spend, or withhold, expenditure upon the road without consulting . the bodies which foot the greater portion of the bill. li was true'a Hutt Road Board of Control was set up, but it was absolutely a dummy board without any poweTs. It could meet and criticise what was done or proposed, but it had no power to carry out its suggestions. The City Council could spend what it liked, and the other bodies simply had to pay whether they considered the expenditure wise or not. ' Through, amalgamation, the quota of the costs.met by the city was now more than formerly, but it was still short of half.

Mr. M'Ewan said that a distinct promise had been given that before tenders were called for the permanent surfacing of the road tie board would be called together to consider the specifications, but this promise had been ignored. The only remedy was for the Legislature to undo the wrong that had been dono, and make the board a real board of control, with representation in proportion' to the interests involved.